


Home Alone Fan Fiction Remake

by PerkyGoth14



Category: Home Alone (Movies)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-04
Updated: 2017-04-21
Packaged: 2018-07-29 09:40:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 33,043
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7679461
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PerkyGoth14/pseuds/PerkyGoth14
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A remake of my previous Home Alone fan fiction stories. Kevin and Chelsea are the black sheep of the McCallister family, but they are encountered by a couple of bandits by the name of Harry and Marv who are anxious to rob from them and even return the following year when the two end up lost in New York. Sucky summary, but better story inside!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

It was a quiet winter night in Chicago, Christmas coming closer and closer with the houses all decorated. We are focusing on one household though, belonging to the McCallister family. There were Christmas lights and angels among it and the family was scattering around. There wasn't just a mother, father, son and daughter, there were four parents in the house with their dozens of children all around, especially with the visiting aunt and uncle with their own children.

Everyone was in a rush to do their packing and get ready to leave home for the happy holidays. Many people were heard shouting 'Where's my suitcase?'. As they bustled about, trying to get packed and ready. One girl was just calmly walking through the hallway, but seemingly looking out for someone. Her blonde hair was in two plaits and her eyes were calm. At the front door, the father who was named Peter was talking with a security guard about them leaving and making sure that their house would be safe and protected while they would be away for the holidays for when they would leave the next morning.

Chelsea looked over at her father. "Daddy, do you know where Kevin is?" She tries to ask him, her voice soft.

"I think he's upstairs with your mother, sweetie." Peter gave a small smile to his eldest child.

"Thank you." Chelsea smiled and then looked warily at the police officer.

The officer nodded to her, feeling the same way for some reason, but tried to calm. Chelsea's youngest sibling, who was an eight-year-old brother named Kevin, was actually in the living room and went to look for their mother, but he saw his sister instead. He looked very unhappy and upset about something.

Chelsea noticed Kevin and ran over. She wrapped her arms around him. "Oh, Kev, what's the matter?" She asks softly.

"I'm trying to watch a movie in the living room, but Buzz keeps turning it off..." Kevin folded his arms, he was glad at least someone was paying attention to him. "No one will make him stop!"

"Did you ask one of the adults?" Chelsea asks him, just trying to make sure he had covered all his bases before coming to her.

"Mom's packing bags, I think Dad's talking with a cop, and Uncle Frank never wants to talk to me." Kevin pouted.

"What about Aunt Leslie?" Chelsea asks softly. She was still hugging her brother.

"I don't know where she is..." Kevin stared at the floor.

For some reason, the cop was speaking with the other kids, asking about their parents.

"Okay, Kev, take me to Buzz and I'll sort him out." Chelsea says, lifting his head up softly with her hand under his chin. She glanced at the police officer.

The officer glanced back, but ignored the kids as he kept looking around. Kevin nodded, leading Chelsea to the living room.

Buzz was currently looking into a cage where he kept his tarantula.

Chelsea hid her fear of the spider. "Buzz, why'd you keep switching off the movie?" She asks, folding her arms angrily.

"'Cuz it's a stupid movie..." Buzz glared back at her.

"I don't care, if any of the others did that to you, you'd have a go at them! Now keep the movie on and say sorry or you'll be it." she tells her younger brother. She was annoyed right now.

Buzz narrowed his eyes at her. "Sorry..." he forced himself to say, but sounded anything but.

Kevin frowned, but accepted it anyway. "It's fine..."

Chelsea glared as it wasn't a real sorry, but went off with Kevin. "Have you packed, Squirt?" She smiles at him softly.

Kevin only laughed when Chelsea would call him things like that. "Yeah, but... I don't wanna sleep in my room..."

Buzz and some of the cousins looked out the window and saw one of their neighbors outside with a shovel.

"'Cuz of Fuller? Well, you can share my room in the third floor if you want." Chelsea smiled softly.

"Really?" Kevin smiled.

"Yeah, I just have my bed though so you would have to share with me." Chelsea smiled, picking up her brother.

"Well... Better than Cousin Fuller." Kevin had to admit. He looked nervous though as Buzz and the cousins were talking about 'Old Man Marley'.

Chelsea glanced over. "Stop it, he isn't like that and you're scaring the younger ones, Buzz." she frowned. She hugged Kevin close as she had picked him up.

Kevin hid his face against Chelsea.

"He never talks to anyone," Buzz said as he continued to stare at their mysterious neighbor. "I bet he only moved here cuz he killed someone and he had to run from the law."

"I highly doubt that, Buzz." Chelsea scoffs. She hugged Kevin gently.

Buzz kept staring at the old man next door and scoffed. "Weirdo."

It seemed as though Marley could overhear them and looked to the window, staring at them. Kevin gasped and huddled against Chelsea even more, he was only eight-years-old after all and a little scared of things like this.

Chelsea gave an apologetic smile and wave to the old man. She then walked off as she soothed Kevin. "He's not bad, Kevin, just ignore Buzz." she says softly.

Kevin shrugged, he wasn't sure how to feel around the neighbor, but he felt maybe he wasn't as bad as the others said he was.

"Every winter, he walks up and down the streets and salts the sidewalks." Buzz told stories to the younger ones again.

"Maybe he's trying to be nice?" Kevin shrugged.

"No way," Buzz scoffed. "See that garbage can full of salt? That's where he keeps his victims. The salt turns the bodies into mummies."

Marley looked back at them again, making them all duck down and avoid his gaze. There was a delivery car riding up to the McCallister house now though. Chelsea didn't duck, she just gave a soft, apologetic smile again and waved. Marley seemed to wave back to her, but no one else really saw it. Chelsea smiled softly.

The pizza guy accidentally knocked something over in the yard and went to the door, only to see the cop at the door. "Okay, that's $122.50."

"Not from me, kid, I don't live here." the cop scoffed.

Two of the younger ones were staring up at the policeman. The cop stared back at them, not seeming very friendly. Uncle Frank came along to the front hall.

The pizza man was still waiting for someone to pay him. "$122.50?" he asked Uncle Frank, thinking maybe this was his house since he was an adult.

"Ah, it's my brother's house, he'll take care of it." Frank says, walking away with the pizza.

The kids continued to stare. Peter came from where he was and heard his name used so he came to collect the pizza. He paid for it and even got to leave a tip and talked with the cop, wondering if he was under arrest or anything.

"Come on, Kev, chant with me." Chelsea whispers before starting to call out 'Pizza!' over and over.

Kevin grinned, then copied her. "Pizza! Pizza! Pizza!"

The cop got information of the families leaving for Paris tomorrow morning and he decided to take his leave, he gave a rather awkward smile that had a gleam in it due to a gold tooth and went off.

Chelsea blinked at the gold tooth. Didn't only mobsters have those? She however shook her head clear. "Let's go and see if they ordered our just cheese pizza." she tells Kevin.

"They better have..." Kevin agreed, he didn't like other toppings like Chelsea, but everyone else loved just anything else on their pizza which was disgusting to them.

The others chattered about their excitement about going to Paris for the holidays and how much fun it was going to be, partying right now like there was no tomorrow, though tomorrow was going to be a lot more exciting.

"Hey, did anybody order us a plain cheese?" Kevin asked as he saw the other pizzas eaten by everyone else.

Aunt Leslie was seeing to Fuller a little. Fuller was drinking more Pepsi than he should have.

"Fuller, go easy on the Pepsi." Leslie said.

Kevin looked very angry and annoyed.

"Yeah, has anyone ordered us some just cheese pizza?" Chelsea repeats as Kevin wasn't heard at first.

Buzz heard them, having his mouth full. "Yeah. But if you guys want any, somebody's gonna have to barf it up 'cuz it's gone!" he then laughed at them.

Chelsea scowled at Buzz.

"Oh, no, one of you guys get a plate!" Buzz pretended to look sick to his stomach.

Kevin had enough, he just pushed Buzz out of his chair, glaring at him for eating their pizza and started to wrestle him down to the floor. Everything went to chaos, Frank squishing Fuller. One of the plane tickets thrown away unknown to everyone. Chelsea was mad too, throwing a punch at Buzz seconds before Kevin tackled him.

"Hey! What's the matter with you two?!" Kate shouts, helping pull Kevin and Chelsea off Buzz.

"He started it!" Kevin piped up, blaming Buzz who was really the bad one here. "He ate our pizza on purpose!"

"He knows we don't like sausage and olives and-" Chelsea trailed off.

"Look what you did, you little jerks!" Frank shouts, wiping Pepsi off his trousers.

Kate looked at the two. "You two, upstairs... Right now." she says.

Kevin felt ashamed, even if he didn't cause a whole lot of trouble.

"You guys are such diseases." one of the kids scoffed to Kevin and Chelsea.

Kate got up and went to the two. "Say good night, you two." she says.

"Good night you two." Chelsea says, yes the eldest of the kids but still with a sassy streak.

"Why do we always get treated like scum?" Kevin growled, in a bitter mood now.

Kate paid the pizza boy after dragging the two out into the hall. Chelsea held Kevin's hand.

Kevin let go of her hand, but only because he wanted to take his anger out on a pillow. "It's not fair! It's not fair! It's not fair!"

Chelsea hugged Kevin gently, trying to soothe him. Kevin pouted as he hugged Chelsea back, she was the only one around here he could really talk to.

"Kevin, me and you'll stick together, right? We'll be fine, just us two." Chelsea says softly.

Kevin had a small smile to her. "Yeah... We don't need anybody else."

"Yeah, we don't need anyone else." Chelsea says quietly hugging him a tiny bit tighter.

"I sometimes wish... That... Oh, never mind..." Kevin changed his mind at the last minute.

"You wish what, Kev?" Chelsea asks him, quietly.

Kevin looked back up to her. "Sometimes... I wish that everyone here would go away... Just everybody... Except you, but everybody else can go."

Chelsea took the pillow and kissed his cheek. "Me and you together forever, Squirt." she said softly, trying to make him laugh as she called him the nickname she called him fondly.

Kevin laughed, feeling a little better, he loved this time he got to share with Chelsea. Chelsea smiled and as they had been forced upstairs to stay, not even having dinner, she let him have a go with her Walkman CD player as she sneakily ordered food for just her and Kevin, making sure the person taking the order would tell the delivery person to sneak around to her window.

'Hello, may I help you with excellent food service?' a familiar voice asked Chelsea.

Kevin played with the CD, seeming lost in another world and unaware of what his oldest sister was up to.

"Hi, can I order a single large cheese pizza and some soda, please? Also could you deliver it to the only window on the third floor?" Chelsea asks, smiling as she seemed to recognize the voice.

"Uhh... Sure...' the voice chuckled, scribbling was heard, the person must have been writing this down on a notepad. 'Which soda do you fancy?'

"Cola and Pepsi please... And is your service Maximum quality?" Chelsea smiled, putting a bit of emphasis on the Max part.

'Oh my God...' the voice sounded less robotic. 'Chelsea McCallister?'

"I knew it was you, Max." Chelsea giggled, quietly but clearly.

Max laughed a little. Kevin looked back to Chelsea briefly, then went back to the CD, thinking she was just talking to a friend for the holidays.

'Happy Holidays,' Max chuckled on the other line. 'Is this a real dinner request or did you stalk me?'

"A real request... We're being treated like the black sheep again." Chelsea sighed softly.

'We?' Max wondered who she could have meant, she actually had not seen Chelsea since she had to leave school before everyone else did after her family ended up being dirt poor and losing all their money so even she had to take a job and stay home to provide for her family. 'Well... I better get going and fill out your order, we'll talk later, Chels.'

"Can you be the one to deliver it Max, we can catch up a few minutes." Chelsea suggests.

'I'll see what I can do.' Max promised.

"Okay, bye-bye." Chelsea says softly.

'Have a lovely day! ...At least I don't have to wear a stupid uniform...' Max grumbled before hanging up to carry out their order.

Chelsea put her phone down and looked at Kevin. She smiled softly.

Kevin looked back to Chelsea after she hung up and decided to pay attention to her now. "Talking about cute boys?" he asked teasingly.

"Well... There was one cute boy~" Chelsea replied, in the same tone as him.

"Yeah?" Kevin asked, just joking along, but decided to ask anyway.

"Yeah... He's blonde, y'know..." she muses.

Kevin patted his own head, he was a blonde. "Go on?"

"He has the cutest little smile... With dimples to die for~" Chelsea continues.

"Is he underage?" Kevin asked, seeing where this was going.

"Oh, yes... Not even in double digits yet" Chelsea smiled.

Kevin laughed a little. Chelsea beckoned him over to her.

"How did you not go mentally insane before I was born?" Kevin asked as he leaned against Chelsea.

"Because something told me to stay sane... And I had a few friends to help me through it," Chelsea smiled. She hugged him close. "And once you were born... I just knew that I had to protect you." she smiles.

Kevin smiled in the hug, he then put his hand over his stomach as it weakly growled.

"Don't worry, Kev... I sorted it." Chelsea then winked.

"Is that who you were on the phone with?" Kevin deduced.

"Yes." Chelsea said. She settled down into a more comfortable position with him to wait for the food.

Kevin smiled.


	2. Chapter 2

Max tried not to slip and fall as she was riding her bike and chained it by the McCallister fence and carried the pizza box and soda, going to the backyard. 'Don't fall this time...' she thought to herself, being very unlucky and accident prone.

Chelsea heard Max's bike and headed to the window, opening it. Max carried the pizza box in one arm and the soda in the other as she came to the best house in the neighborhood. Kevin went to Chelsea's side and saw the delivery person coming, not knowing who it was. Chelsea smiled and looked out. Max looked around, a little lost of where to go, but she did remember the third floor condition.

"Max." Chelsea whisper-shouts.

The girl heard her name and looked up. Kevin waved to her with Chelsea. Max smiled and waved back, but looked thoughtful. How was she supposed to get up there? Chelsea ran and got a rope ladder from in her dresser.

Kevin even tied some string together with a picnic basket. "Put the food in the basket!" he called to her, though still tried not to alert everyone else in the house.

Max nodded, she did that and once the food and the pop were in the basket, Kevin pulled it back up into the window. She then grabbed onto the rope ladder to get her pay and see Chelsea again.

"Just don't look down." Kevin advised.

Max grew nervous instantly. "Why does everybody say that!?"

Chelsea held out a hand to her friend to help her too. Max came up slowly and carefully, then took Chelsea's hand once she could reach it.

Chelsea helped her get in. "Hey, Max." she smiled hugging her friend.

"Chels..." Max hugged her best friend after so long. "I've missed you so much... Did I miss anything?" she then looked to see Kevin who gave a friendly smile and wave. "Wow, Buzz's matured..."

Kevin gave her a look, like being mistaken for his bully brother was a great offense. "I'm not Buzz..."

"No, Max, this is my youngest brother, Kevin." Chelsea smiled gently, pulling Kevin gently into the hug.

"Oh... Hi there..." Max smiled. "Kevin, huh? How old are you?"

"Eight." Kevin gave his age.

Max looked a little surprised, then looked to Chelsea. "How long has it been since we last saw each other?"

"Quite a few years, Max." Chelsea says softly.

Max chuckled. "We'll, enjoy your pizza, that'll be $12.25."

Chelsea handed her the money, plus a big tip.

"Enjoy it," Max smiled as she took the money. "Have a good night."

"You're not staying?" Kevin sounded a little disappointed.

"I'd love to stay, but I got work..." Max pouted.

"How about you come by tomorrow morning?" Chelsea smiled.

"Umm... Okay, what time?" Max smiled.

Chelsea told her the time.

"I'll try, I heard you guys were going to Paris for Christmas, is it true?" Max asked.

"Yes..." Kevin sounded anything but pleased about going there for the holidays, he was just going to stick with Chelsea the whole time since he didn't care for the other members of their family.

"Yeah... To be honest, I'll just be sticking with Kev." Chelsea informed her best friend.

"Oh, that's good you're so close..." Max smiled. "I was always jealous of you, Chels... I mean look at me... No brothers and sisters... Parents who were barely and could now barely be around."

"You sound lucky compared to us." Kevin spoke up to that.

Chelsea hugged her friend again.

Max hugged back, then went to the window. "Well, I better get going... If it were up to me, I'd stay, but unfortunately, I have a boss that's part shark... I think next year I'm gonna apply for New York... I don't wanna sound greedy, but think of the tips I'll get for catering to aristocrats!"

Kevin hid a chuckle.

"Well... Good night, see you tomorrow." Max waved to the siblings, then carefully climbed back down to get on her bike back to work.

"See you tomorrow, Max." Chelsea smiled.

Max smiled and started to climb down.

"I don't remember her... But she seems nice..." Kevin said as his sister's friend left.

Chelsea nodded, waiting for her friend, and smiled softly at Kevin. Kevin then propped open the food for them, unable to ignore the smell any longer.

"You take the first slice, Kev." Chelsea said as she rolled up the rope ladder.

Kevin smiled to her, then took out the first slice as it was gooey and melty, just the way they both liked it. Chelsea put the ladder away and smiled at Kevin. Kevin smiled, but frowned once he heard footsteps outside the door. Chelsea quickly helped hide the food for now. She looked at the door. Kevin stood with Chelsea. Kate had come to the door, looking to her oldest and youngest child in the same room.

"Yes, Mom?" Chelsea asks, looking both annoyed and hurt with their mother.

"I just want to know what your problem is with the family, you two." Kate said to her children.

"Because everybody hates us and we don't fit in!" Kevin huffed. "I don't want any family except Chelsea, families suck!"

Kate looked firm then. "Both of you stay up here then and I don't want to see you for the rest of the night."

"We don't want to see you either..." Chelsea says.

"I hope neither of you mean that..." Kate said back. "You'd feel pretty sad if you woke up and didn't have a family. 

"No, we wouldn't." Kevin sneered.

"Then say it again, maybe it'll happen..." Kate didn't like to argue, but she felt like she had no choice.

"We hope we never see any of you again!" Chelsea says, looking away from her mother.

Kate was very angry, she didn't say anything else and just walked away and left them alone.

"I wish they all would just disappear... Except for you, Chelsea..." Kevin pouted as was very angry with their mom.

Chelsea shut her bedroom door again. "Just you and me together, Kev." she says softly.

"That's all we need..." Kevin agreed, pouting a little.

Chelsea got out the pizza and soda again and had a glorious feast, just her and Kevin.

Kevin smiled as he enjoyed the cheese pizza. "Mm... Tastes cheesier than usual." he smiled in approval.

Chelsea smiled, eating her own slice, after pouring him a drink too.

"Shaken not stirred." Kevin attempted to joke with his serving of the fizzy drink.

"Of course, sir, just the way you like it." Chelsea smiled.

"Would you like a tip?" Kevin asked, playfully taking out a pack of gum.

"Hmm... Strawberry?" Chelsea asks, playing along.

"You drive a hard bargain..." Kevin took out a strawberry stick, then gave it to her.

Chelsea took it with a wink. "Thank you, sir... And my tip for you is to never eat yellow snow." Chelsea giggled.

"Oh, I know that..." Kevin understood as he drank some more and ate the pizza, how dare Buzz eat it all when he knows they hate extra toppings.

Chelsea ate enough to fill her hunger up and then ducked behind her dressing screen to get changed quickly into her night clothes. Once Kevin ate enough, he started to yawn and look very sleepy. Chelsea saw this and smiled softly. Luckily she kept a few of his things safe and gave him his pajamas she had there.

Kevin rubbed his eyes, feeling very tired, being a little kid and all. "What time do we get up again?" he asked, very drowsily.

"I'll set my alarm, Kev, don't worry." Chelsea smiled. She helped him change then settled down with him, ready for their supposedly hectic day tomorrow.

Kevin smiled and nodded, his eyes were very heavy and he lost control of his yawning. "I think I might wanna nap on the way..."

"Okay, Kev." Chelsea smiled, pulling the cover up to cover them both, hugging him in a sisterly way.

Kevin smiled as he knocked out as soon as his head hit the pillow. He mumbled a good night and got comfortable. Soon the siblings were asleep, and soon after the whole house was asleep. There was a slight strong wind that set off a chain of reactions that caused the electrical wires to blackout. No one was awake to notice it, so they all continued to sleep like nothing happened and they were getting enough rest to get out of the country and actually go to Paris.


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning a knocking came to the front door, alerting everyone, but the topmost floor.

Peter and Kate were sleeping soundly, but they could hear a little bit of the sharp knocking at the front door. Once they both sat up and realized what the real time was, horror dawned upon them. "WE SLEPT IN!" The couple hurried to wake everybody up and get them out to get ready to catch their flight and meet the van drivers for them.

Max was feeling more cold than usual today, so she put on a hat and a tight scarf, but she would lower it to talk to people and just as she did, Mitch Murphy, a boy who lived across the street who was Kevin's on-off friend, also decided to come visit and say goodbye to the McCallisters. Everybody was in a panic to get ready. There was a bit of arguing, but everyone managed to get out of the door in record time. Mitch and Max walked together as the parents were in a frenzy to get ready to make it to the airport in time. 

"E-Excuse me...?" Max tried to get Kate's attention while Mitch found an open door and wanted to get something from one of the boxes with his back turned.

"Chelsea, you're going to have to go into the van with Leslie and Frank." Kate says to Max, distracted. She got one of the girls to do a head count, who accidentally counted Mitch.

"But I'm not--" Max tried to explain.

"Go, we're late!" Kate says angrily. She pushed Max towards the others' van.

Max yelped as she was forced to go along with this. After Leslie counted everyone, Mitch actually walked off and they all loaded up in the vans, but according to her, everyone was ready to go and all together. Seeing as it seemed like everything was fine; Kate got the drivers to go once she was inside the van herself.

Max somehow got roped into going on vacation with everyone, she had to wonder where Kevin and Chelsea were during this. Surely the McCallister family would notice that she wasn't one of them. They didn't, everyone was so stressed they thought everyone meant to be there was there. So they headed off to their holiday. Max was forced to ride in the van with a family that was not her own and the vans went off. Mitch sent a wave to the leaving family as they had to hurry to the airport and make their flight.

Meanwhile Chelsea was still cuddled up to her brother, dreaming of how it seemed life would be if it was just her and Kevin.

Kevin hummed softly in his sleep, having the same dreams, little did they both know that they were slowly coming true. He eventually woke up, having the best night of sleep in what felt like years. He got out of the bed with a yawn and it was surprisingly quiet. Almost too quiet. "Mom?" she called out, but no one but an ominous echo responded.

Chelsea woke up herself after Kevin got up. She announced where she was going, still half asleep, and headed to the bathroom to do her morning routine. Kevin nodded to Chelsea and he decided to go on a little scavenger hunt to see where everyone else was, not realizing what time it really was. He even went down to the basement, feeling he might be being pranked by Buzz or something, but something that was a horrifying monster in his eight-year-old mind caught his attention and made him run back upstairs in fear. 

Chelsea had done a quick wash and brush her teeth and came downstairs with her dressing gown on. Kevin was sitting at a chair in the kitchen, trying to get over his fear, but he was now thinking of everybody and wondered what just happened and how they could have left him and Chelsea home alone like this. Could it be coincidence... Or... Fate? Chelsea came into the kitchen, hearing Kevin talking quietly to himself.

"Is this a joke?" Kevin murmured as he couldn't find anyone from his family except for Chelsea.

"Is what a joke, Squirt?" Chelsea asks, giving a little fond smile.

"Chelsea, they're all gone, I don't understand it..." Kevin looked back to her. "But, you're still here..."

"Maybe our wish came true." Chelsea says.

"Our wish?" Kevin tried to remember, he was still a little slow, but he thought back to what everyone said to them last night, he then had a small smile once he realized what happened before they fell asleep. "We made our whole family disappear..."

Chelsea decided that just this morning they could eat an unhealthy thing for breakfast and made popcorn. Instead of worrying his silly head over nothing and senseless things, Kevin actually felt like it was time to party. Chelsea handed him a bowl of popcorn, smiling softly.

Kevin smiled and took some. "Popcorn for breakfast?" he asked, a bit surprised.

"Just for today, Kev." Chelsea smiled.

Kevin playfully pouted, then ate more popcorn. Chelsea chuckled softly and got a drink for her and Kevin.

"I'll just have juice though, no soda in the morning." Kevin decided to only go by that rule for now.

Chelsea nodded, getting them their favourite juices. She handed Kevin his and grinned.

Kevin ate more of the popcorn and washed it down with the juice. "So, what do we do now?"

"Watch a movie?" Chelsea suggests.

"Can we watch one of those Angel movies?" Kevin asked, though he was often told not to watch them.

"Hmm... Okay... But you turn it straight off if you get scared, okay, Squirt?" Chelsea says softly, ruffling his hair.

"Chelsea, I'm not a little kid, ya know..." Kevin glanced to her with a small chuckle.

"Even I get scared of movies." Chelsea tells him, smiling a little.

"Chels..." Kevin mumbled, rolling his eyes, thinking she was just saying that to make him feel better. He then looked around. "I thought Max was coming today."

"So did I... She probably slept in." Chelsea says quietly.

Kevin frowned. "She seems so cool for a girl... Oh, no offense." he teased slightly then.

Chelsea smirked. "You better put down your popcorn and juice, buddy." she says.

Kevin glanced back at her, he picked up some more popcorn and playfully threw them to her. Chelsea caught each one in her mouth then came over and started to tickle him. Kevin started to laugh, he was a little kid after all and being ticklish was kind of key.

"Apologize~" she laughed.

"Why?" Kevin laughed as he wiggled slightly in the tickle battle.

"Insulting girls!" Chelsea playfully exclaims.

Kevin laughed, finally he was getting to where he couldn't take anymore. "Okay, okay, I give up, I'm sorry!" he gave in, tears in his eyes as he kept laughing. "I'm sorry!"

Chelsea stopped tickling and hugged him, giggling.

Kevin had small hiccups due to laughing so hard and hugged her back. "I said 'no offense'."

"Didn't cut it." Chelsea teased softly, she patted his back to help get rid of the hiccups.

Kevin huffed, he kept hiccuping a bit, but eventually stopped. He then took another drink of juice to finish it off.

Chelsea hugged him gently. "How about we watch that movie then?" she suggests.

"Cool." Kevin agreed, he decided to go look for it, maybe this time he could watch it without it being randomly turned off.

Chelsea smiled and set them up a place on the sofa to watch it in comfort. Kevin stuck his tongue out as he let his fingers slide across the video collection. Chelsea hummed softly.


	4. Chapter 4

"Gotcha!" Kevin got out the movie. "Hmm... Should we have ice cream with this later tonight and watch a different movie now?" he then wondered which would be better, they both sounded like awesome opportunities.

"Now will be good." Chelsea says.

"Okay..." Kevin smirked as he popped open the cover and took out the black rectangular that was a video tape and slid it into the VCR.

Chelsea got the ice cream.

Kevin got the movie ready and made sure everything was comfortable. "Buzz, we're about to watch a good movie, you better come stop us!" he pretended to call out, just as a test, then kept doing what he was doing.

"And we're eating junk food!" Chelsea even calls, sitting next to her brother.

Kevin got the movie to start and sat comfortably now. This was going to be awesome. Chelsea slowly started to eat her ice cream. Kevin ate big spoonfuls as he mostly stared at the screen. Chelsea watched the film too. She hadn't seen this film herself. The movie introduced a man who was coming to see another man who was possibly a mob leader. They were talking a moment as the McCallister siblings kept eating their ice cream like it was no big deal.

"Guys, we're eating junk food and eating an R-Rated movie!" Kevin still called. "Aren't you gonna stop us?"

The boss kept talking down his man, not seeming very friendly at all.

After a while, Chelsea dropped her spoon, her mouth open in surprise, the boss had just plowed down the other man with a tommy gun.

This was too much for little Kevin. "MOM!!!!"

Chelsea grabbed her brother into a hug.

Kate had been asleep on Pete's shoulder. She woke up and started to check her wallet.

Peter woke up and sensed trouble, he looked to his distressed wife. "What's wrong?" he asked, still tired, but worried about her worrying.

"I have a terrible feeling." Kate tells him.

"Like what?" Peter yawned. "Like we forgot something?"

"That we didn't do something..." Kate tells him.

"You feel that way because we left in a hurry," Peter talked with her, a little more awake now. "We took care of everything."

Kate frowned in thought. "Did I turn off the coffee machine?" She asks.

"No," Peter said which shocked his wife at first until he finished his reply. "I did."

"Did you lock up?" Kate then asks him.

"Yeah." Peter gave a nod.

"Did you close the garage?" She then asks.

"That's it, I forgot to close the garage," Peter cracked an attempt to joke with Kate's worries, but he saw it wasn't going to work as she looked very stressed. "No, that's not it..." he then said, softly and quietly. "What else could we be forgetting, huh?"

Kate mulled it over mentally she then gasped. "KEVIN!" She shouts, after all they didn't know the 'Chelsea' that was with them was actually Max.

Max snuffled and woke up from that after Megan and Linnie fell asleep next to her, either not hearing their mother or simply trying to ignore her. Peter tried to calm down Kate and assure her everything was okay and maybe she was just overreacting. Kate knew deep in her bones she had forgotten Kevin. So she wasn't soothed.


	5. Chapter 5

Chelsea bit her lip but made sure Kevin had plenty of warm layers that would also add as padding. There was something he had wanted to do for a few years, but had never been able to. Kevin was attempting to shave himself and act like a sophisticated gentleman in his speech as he applied cream. However, it was a little too much and it made him slap his hands to his cheeks and scream from the stinging pain.

Chelsea heard his scream and came running. "Oh, sweetheart." she sighs softly, relieved he wasn't being murdered or something. She then came over to him and helped sort him out so he no longer hurt due to the aftershave.

"It burns..." Kevin whimpered slightly.

Chelsea got some soothing cream that would stop the burning. Kevin whined, but he looked around, he felt a disturbance of some kind.

Soon the cream was put on his cheeks and it worked. "Kevin, you go find something to play with, I'll need to go and check something." Chelsea says softly, kissing his forehead.

"Okay." Kevin said once he felt better.

Chelsea smiled and headed outside a moment to take a look. She noticed the van in the Murphys' driveway. "I thought the Murphys went to Florida..." she frowned softly.

"Who wants to go to Florida for Christmas anyway?" Kevin scoffed.

"Not me," Chelsea says then blinked. "I thought you were getting something to play with, Squirt." she tells him, the nickname friendly though.

Kevin stuck out his tongue, he then went back to what he was doing. He scampered into Buzz's room and decided to see if there was maybe something in there. Finding an old box, he looked through it, seeing a very disturbing girl in a framed photograph, then saw adult magazines and looked up as there was a jar of many dollars up on a high shelf. He decided to climb up it, unable to ignore his childish greed.

Chelsea chuckled and went to the van window and glanced in. That wasn't the Murphys' van. 'It could be someone doing work on the house...' she thinks.

There were a couple of men in the van, they seemed to be talking about something. Kevin kept climbing up the shelf, but yelped slightly as the shelf dismantled itself and fell down with him, but he got the money. Chelsea blinked and ducked down, hoping she hadn't been noticed looking into the house where the two were messing about in. Kevin put the money in his pocket and kept looking around for something to play with. Chelsea started to sneak back towards her and Kevin's house.

"Who was that?" one of the men muttered.

"I don't know... Go look..." Harry says. "You know you're one of the great cat burglars, Marv. You think you can keep it down a little in there? Huh?" He then says.

Chelsea continued to sneak away.

"Aye-Aye..." the taller man agreed to his 'best pal'. He swiftly got out from the van and tried to seem casual and quiet so this 'little girl' wouldn't feel distressed.

Chelsea stiffened. Crud, one of them saw her, she couldn't go home just yet. Marv kept coming for Chelsea, being careful not to slip and fall into the snow. Chelsea turned to look at Marv, crossing her arms nervously.

"Good afternoon, Miss." Marv greeted, trying to sound as friendly as a kindly neighbor man, but obviously wouldn't fool anyone.

"You shouldn't be there." Chelsea says.

"Oh, we're just bringing in their mail and helpin' take care of things..." Marv lied smoothly. "Maybe if you go on vacation, we'll do the same for your home, huh?"

Chelsea shook her head. She frowned at him. "I don't believe you." she says.

"Why not?" Marv narrowed his eyes at her slightly.

"Because the Murphy's have everything sorted before they leave." Chelsea says.

"What if they forgot somethin'?" Marv then asked.

"They never have before." Chelsea says back, her tone a little sassy.

"Well, aren't you a little so sure?" Marv retorted, trying to level up to her sassiness, kids these days.

"I just know the Murphys well." She tells him.

Mar gave her a glare. "Well, you better keep warm... It gets cold around this time of year..." he kept his distance and just decided to meet his partner back in the van.

"Yeah, return to your van and get outta here!" Chelsea can't help but retort.

Marv gave a glare right back at her, looking serious and a bit frightening. Chelsea stuck her tongue out at him. Marv made a face back, seeming to had sense that somehow, he nearly slipped in the ice and the snow, but carefully caught himself as he continued to walk away. Chelsea giggled and then started to walk away too.

Kevin was playing with an Etch-A-Sketch on the couch. As soon as she was sure he couldn't see her, she dashed into the house. Marv had gone back to the van with his partner who looked awfully familiar. Kevin kept sketching and looked over as Chelsea seemed to be in a rush. Chelsea shut the door behind her, a little breathless from her 'mad dash'.

"Chelsea, you alright?" Kevin called to his sister.

"There are strange people around the Murphys' place." Chelsea tells him softly.

"You sure that's not Mitch's dad?" Kevin joked a little.

"They went to Florida, remember?" Chelsea asks, though she smiled slightly, appreciating his effort to try and cheer her up.

"That is weird..." Kevin got a little nervous now, but not too much. "What if they find out we're home alone and try to rob us?"

"We have your brains, Kev, it'll be fine." Chelsea soothes.

"No way we tell them that we're home alone, that's never a good thing to do, whether a magic wish made them go away or not." Kevin said then, sounding very mature for his age.

"We could try tricking them tonight." Chelsea suggests.

Kevin had an evil, yet eager look in his eyes. "You make them think we aren't alone so they don't rob us?" 

"Yeah." Chelsea grinned.

"Hmm..." Kevin went deep into thought to make this a perfect attempt to make it appear they weren't home alone. "Before we go and they strike at night though, I think we should do a little grocery shopping. I'll pay." he then took out the money from Buzz's room.

"Where'd you--Never mind." Chelsea chuckled.

Kevin had a smirk. "I just thought we should, we're running out of food, especially just us here."

Chelsea smiled and hugged him. "Let's go then." she smiled.

"Alright, go get your coat." Kevin told her like a responsible adult with a child, then went to do the same himself.

Chelsea chuckled and did so. "Yessir." she says. She got her coat on and her boots.

Kevin made sure to get his hat and scarf as it was a bit too chilly for his personal taste and it would get colder and colder until the allergenic arrival of Spring, courtesy of Mother Nature. Chelsea took him outside once they were all ready and shut and locked the door. Kevin stuffed the money in one deep pocket, he did not hold Chelsea's hand until they would have to cross the street. They went to the supermarket to get food then visited the pharmacy to get Kevin a new toothbrush.

"Who was it?" Harry asks Marv.

"Some little girl..." Marv was unsure of who exactly Chelsea was.

"Hm, well next time; grab her, if she's on to us, it's only safer." Harry says.

Marv nodded. "She looks older than most kids... Must be a teenager."


	6. Chapter 6

Kevin looked among the other choices for produce.

"Has anyone seen Maxine?" a woman behind a counter asked her employees who just shrugged. "That girl has no free time anymore..."

Chelsea frowned softly as she heard that. She thought that maybe Maxine was working and had forgotten to tell her that she couldn't come to visit.

The woman came behind her desk and looked to Chelsea as she came with the toothbrush just as Kevin collected personal groceries. "Ah, how may I help you?" she asked them.

Chelsea stood beside her brother, her face looking firm and cautious.

Kevin took the toothbrush and showed the woman. "Is this toothbrush approved by the American Dental Association?"

"Well, I don't know..." the woman took a look at it. "It doesn't say, hon."

A man in boots came into the pharmacy and slammed his bloody bandaged hand on the counter. Chelsea put her arm out as if to block the man from getting closer, protecting Kevin. Kevin felt a disturbance and looked up, then backed away to Chelsea, feeling uncomfortable and scared instantly. The woman was talking with one of her fellow employees about the toothbrush, unaware of Kevin's fright. Chelsea flung some cash on the counter, and then ushered Kevin out.

Kevin clung to Chelsea and they made their escape and the employees watched them leave so quickly, but at least they left some money instead of shoplifting. Chelsea walked quickly with Kevin, not even noticing that the van was started up, ready to leave the Murphys' drive. Kevin actually did hold Chelsea's hand this time as they walked down the street, he was trying to be brave, but he wasn't fooling anyone. That was such a bonehead move. He didn't notice the van either. However, the van came close right in front of Kevin which startled him and made him scream, but it had stopped inches in front of his face and he screamed.

Harry stepped hard on the breaks. He rolled down his window and stuck his head out. "Hey, you got to watch out for the traffic." he says, showing all his teeth.

Chelsea pulled Kevin protectively behind her. Her eyes widened slightly as she saw Marv.

"S-Sorry..." Kevin huddled toward Chelsea for comfort and protection.

"Santy don't visit the funeral homes, buddy." Marv taunted the kid for getting in their way.

"Okay, okay. Merry Christmas." Harry says. He smiled, showing his gold tooth.

"Geez, you don't have to scare the kid." Chelsea retorts, not happy Kevin was scared.

Kevin studied Harry, feeling he had seen this man before and once his tooth gleamed, it hit him. That was the same visitor before everybody else left early this morning and talking with their father about robberies and burglars. That could not be a coincidence. 

"Why don't ya keep him on a leash?" Marv snorted to Chelsea. "That's what my parents did."

Harry's smile faded a little. Chelsea merely stuck her tongue out at Marv, and turned with Kevin, starting to walk away. Kevin stuck with Chelsea, feeling a little weird in his stomach.

Marv noticed Harry's grim look. "What's the matter?"

"I don't like the way that kid looked at me. You see that?" Harry asked. "And what about the girl with you?" He adds.

"I dunno what her problem is... She kept asking me questions about the Murphy's..." Marv remembered.

"She was the one who might be onto us," Harry realizes. He looked at Marv. "You should've grabbed her like I suggested!" He then scolds the taller man.

"How was I 'opposed' to know?" Marv snarled back. "All little girls look alike to me."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Let's follow them." he says, driving after them.

"Yeah..." Marv agreed with a rather sadistically cheesy grin on his face, like he was a serial killer escaping from the mental institution. 

Chelsea frowned softly as she heard the van following them. Kevin tried to ignore it as he stuck by Chelsea at all costs. Chelsea started to run with Kevin. Harry sped up the van. Marv still grinned darkly.

Kevin started to whimper as he picked up his feet and ran with Chelsea. They had to hurry to the house. 

Chelsea hid Kevin in the Nativity scene. "Kevin, stay there and still, they won't notice you... I'll draw them off around the corner and be back when they pass, okay?" She asks softly.

The van was slower than them due to the roads and bit of traffic.

"Okay..." Kevin nodded quietly, going to hide himself, he hiked under the scarf and carried a hook, but bowed his head to look at the pretend Baby Jesus and avoid eye contact with the bad men.

Chelsea walked fast past the church as the van came along, she sped around the corner. They didn't noticed Kevin in the scene, but followed after Chelsea.

"After her!" Marv called, even if Harry was already going that way.

Kevin kept hidden until the van was out of his earshot. Harry went a little faster past the church. Chelsea looked around quickly for somewhere to hide. Once they were gone, Kevin looked up and saw the van was gone and was now looking for his favorite sister. Chelsea had to run up a bit further, trying not to fall on any patches of ice.

Kevin put the blanket and hook back as he looked for Chelsea, she couldn't have gone that far, could she? Chelsea tried to hide behind some trashcans. Harry had driven quite fast as the road was empty.

"Where are you...?" Marv growled lowly.

Harry noticed her and smirked. He made it sound like the van had passed but stopped it a little way away. "She's behind those trashcans... We should sneak up on her." he says.

Chelsea had tucked herself into a ball to make herself smaller. Marv grinned with an evil laugh, he liked the sound of that. Harry got out of the van with Marv. As she thought the van had gone, she got up and started to sneak out from behind the trashcans. Marv couldn't help but hum The Great Escape to himself as they went along, but did his best to also keep quiet enough for them to successfully capture Chelsea and take her as a hostage.

Harry smirked. Chelsea didn't look behind herself as she walked along. Marv kept humming as they came to the unsuspecting 'little girl'. Harry gestured for him to be quiet and gestured for Marv to grab her. He grabbed a clean handkerchief he had stolen, ready to use it to block her scream if she did. Marv nodded, he came closer and closer behind Chelsea like a creepy predator and dangerous stranger a child should not get in a large van that has no windows and free candy in the trunk.

Harry smirked darkly. Chelsea felt their presences behind her and turned, her eyes widening. Marv grinned and grabbed Chelsea, holding her arms behind her back suddenly. 

"Chelsea, where are you?" Kevin sounded lost and miserable without her now.

"What?! Let go!" Chelsea shouts, loud enough for Kevin to hear. But was silenced after by the handkerchief.

"Shhh..." Marv hissed into her ear. "We don't wanna do anythin' stupid, now do we?"

Chelsea squirmed and kicked.

Harry grunted as he was kicked in the shin and grabbed her legs. "Let's get her in the van." he says.

"Let's." Marv agreed, trying to dodge Chelsea's squirming and kicks. 

"Chelsea!" Kevin called out, going down the streets by himself, a little nervously, he was just a little kid.

Chelsea got a glimpse of Kevin in the distance. 'Quick, go home.' she thinks desperately.

Harry went and opened the back door of the truck. Kevin didn't want to leave her, but he had no choice, he turned around before any of those bad guys could see him and memorized the way back to their house. He didn't hear Chelsea's thoughts, but he somehow seemed to know what she was thinking and that it was the right and smart thing to do.

"Now, settle down, young lady..." Marv grunted as he kept his firm hold on Chelsea. "Wouldn't want ya to spend Christmas with a broken arm or two, huh?"

Though it wasn't clear the 'What?!' Was obvious by how her muffled voice sounded. She still didn't stop, not believing the older man.

"Come now, we won't hurt you... Much..." Marv laughed.

Harry laughed too. "Get her in the van." he says.

Chelsea squirmed more.

"Easy now..." Marv said softly, then shoved her to the van once he got her feet to the end of the doors. "There ya go!" he pushed her in.

Chelsea landed, luckily able to catch herself before any damage could be done. She managed to sit up as Harry slammed the door shut. Harry got into the driver's seat. Marv went to his seat on the other side and laughed, once he sat down, he nearly slammed the door shut and fastened his seat-belt. Chelsea reached to undo her gag but the knot held firm. She then tried to move forwards to get Harry, so he'd have to stop the van.

"Don't do that or Marv'll join you in the back." Harry smirked.

"Aw, come on, man..." Marv whined like a little kid.

Chelsea stopped getting how Harry meant it. Harry sent Marv a look.

"What?" Marv didn't quite get it, he was a little loose in his membrane.

Chelsea looked slightly relieved.

"You're a man, she's a young woman." Harry hinted but left it at that for now at least.

"Oh, yeah..." Marv chuckled darkly one he now got it through his head.

Chelsea looked worried again. Harry drove off so they could prepare for that night. Marv grinned eerily to Chelsea and looked back out the windshield with Harry. Kevin wasn't sure what to do now, he was very angry that those bad guys took Chelsea away, he was also sad because now he was all alone, he then looked thoughtful as he tried to think of something, he was a lot smarter than he looked. The men would obviously try to get to his house, so it would be best if he defended it.


	7. Chapter 7

Chelsea sat down so she wouldn't fall as the van moved. Marv was eager to steal from the house in which Chelsea now lived in and it would be perfect since no one was home. Soon, the van pulled up to where Harry and Marv currently stayed. Harry glanced back at Chelsea then got out and looked at Marv. "Do what you want with her, just don't let her escape." he says firmly. He then went inside to get their burgular tools they would need and some rope.

Chelsea scrambled to try and use her petite figure to escape, barely missing her fingers getting trapped in the door Harry slammed shut. In her instinctive reaction, she glared at the shorter of the two men, growling as he smirked. Once they made it to Harry's place,they stopped the van and Marv eagerly went to get Chelsea, she looked miserable and a total wreck before he got the doors open. The sun was going down very fast, who knew how long she was actually stuck with them?

Marv agreed, he was going to have a lot of fun with this. "Now, what should I do with you? Make a mark that will stick with ya the rest of your life?" he taunted Chelsea before doing something exactly to her.

That night, they returned to the McCallister household. Harry looked slightly perplexed at the scene in the window. It looked like there was a party going on. Chelsea was still in the back of the van, still gagged but now tied up too. She looked calm, though inside she had a few emotions going around. Hearing the music she was slightly relieved.

"They back already?" Marv was surprised as there was music and people going about.

At least that was what they thought, Kevin was inside the house, using cut-outs connected to strings and a stereo and he was being a puppeteer to the makeshift party guests, even with Buzz's Michael Jordan cut-out.

"Paris?" Harry retorts. He then went back to looking.

Chelsea hoped they would fall for the trick.

"Then who's in there?" Marv retorted back.

"Ah, we'll come back tomorrow, we better get out of here before someone sees us." Harry says, before driving off.

Chelsea closed her eyes in relief, Kevin was safe, at least for a while. Marv nodded in agreement. They were both totally fooled by Kevin's little set-up. Harry drove them back to their hideout. Chelsea whimpered as they went. Kevin watched as the bad guys left with his sister again, at least they didn't come in and bust him since he was a little kid and would be in a lot of trouble with crooks like them, he had to protect the house and save Chelsea's life. 

Frank came in with a tray of appetizers.

"They aren't meant to be eaten until later." Kate says. She was worrying over Kevin and Chelsea, feeling something bad had happened.

"It's okay..." Peter tried to soothe his wife, she was going to worry herself sick.

"But I shouldn't have left them, I'm a horrible mother." Kate says, looking sad.

"We'll call the police and make sure they're alright, okay?" Peter soothed with a small comforting smile.

"The police already went... They weren't there... They could've been kidnapped or hurt, or something." Kate tells him.

Peter was starting to worry now himself, but tried to stay strong for Kate's sake.

"What?" Max came over, a little worried about Kevin and Chelsea now.

"I'm so worried about Kevin and Chelsea." Kate sniffs, sadly.

Max frowned and hugged Kate. "I'm so sorry... It must be hard." 

"I'm sure Kevin is fine with Chelsea, she's always been a responsible girl," Peter added in. "It's not like you can just fly right back to Chicago."

Kate, who had been hugging Max back, looked over at Peter. Her eyes lit up with hope. "I'm sure we'll be able to." she says.

"Oh, Kate, there are probably cancelled flights and no chances..." Peter sighed.

"We have to try." Kate says.

"I'll go with you." Max volunteered herself.

Kate gave a soft smile.

"Are you two sure?" Peter asked his wife and his eldest's best friend.

"Yes sir..." Max firmly nodded. "No matter what it takes, we'll make sure your family is whole again." she then promised.

Kate nodded. Peter decided to let them go and have their own little adventure to go after Kevin and Chelsea for their safety and well-being during what was supposed to be the happy holidays.

The next day, Chelsea hadn't slept well. She was in an uncomfortable position and she couldn't move due to the fact she was still tied up. The pizza guy was on his way to Kevin's that day. Chelsea tried to get away, having to be like a worm or caterpillar to move. Kevin had decided to get himself a cheese pizza, he wished he could share it with Chelsea, but he had to eat to survive and he was determined to get her back, whether being a little kid or not.

Harry was snoozing in a chair. Chelsea tried to get to the door. Marv was asleep himself, but he tossed a little bit and rubbed his eyes, waking up briefly. Chelsea tried to be quiet though it was a lot of effort when tied up and so couldn't help but make noises as she squirmed along. Marv rubbed his eyes and saw Chelsea trying to get away and decided to go and bust her. No way she was going to escape and ruin their plans.

Chelsea was getting closer to the door. Her gaze and attention was fixed solely on that. Marv grabbed Chelsea's ankles and started pulling her back, much to her misfortune. Chelsea muffled out a despairing cry, she had been so close!

"Ah, ah, ah..." Marv mocked her as he pulled her back.

Chelsea whimpered and glanced over her shoulder at him.

Marv then put her back to where she was and gave her a firm look, but it looked a little goofy due to how he was sometimes. "Now, I don't wanna have to do that again, little lady... I'm a wet bandit, okay?"

Chelsea, though upset she hadn't escaped and worried about Kevin and if Marv would be bad again, couldn't help but giggle behind the gag. Marv set a firm look to Chelsea, then decided to get back to sleep for the night. Chelsea frowned and hummed behind the gag.

The pizza boy knocked down the yard ornament again.

'Who is it?' a familiar older and scratchy voice asked from behind the door after the delivery boy knocked on it.

"I got a plain cheese pizza delivery here." the pizza guy says.

"Leave it on the doorstop and get out of here." the voice demanded.

"Okay... But what about the money?" The pizza guy asks, putting the pizza box down.

"What money?" the voice then asked which was an uncommon thing to ask a pizza delivery person.

"$11.80 for pizza." the boy said.

"Is that a fact?" the voice seemed to be taunting him. "How much do I owe ya?" 

"$11.80 plus tip." the pizza guy says.

Kevin found a couple of ten dollar bills which was a little less than what he was expected to pay, but he left it out for the delivery boy and kept playing the movie since he was using it to get by with having an adult in the house until he would get Chelsea back. "Keep the change, ya filthy animal..." the boss in the movie told the delivery boy.

"Cheapskate." the boy says, picking up the money.

"I'm gonna give you to the count of ten to get your ugly, yellow, no-good keister off my property before I pump you full of lead!" the boss threatened to scare away the delivery boy and then Kevin would finally get his dinner without being seen home alone.

The pizza boy ran for his life.

After the shots were fired to make it like someone who threaten to shoot him, Kevin had a small laugh. Once he was sure the delivery boy was gone, he did open the door and collect the pizza and smiled. "A lovely cheese pizza just for me..." he then held the box, shut the door behind him and locked it. "Don't worry, Chelsea... I'll get ya and I'll save you some..." he then quietly promised, even if his older sister wouldn't hear him now, but he meant it and was going to rescue her from those rotten thieves.

Chelsea sat herself up with great difficulty and started to kick Harry's chair.

Harry woke up with an annoyed shout. "Dammit, girl, I stayed up all night to watch you from getting out and I need to sleep for tonight!" Harry yelks. "Marv, get your lazy butt up!" He then shouts.

"Five more minutes, Mom... Besides, the other kids tease me..." Marv muttered sleepily.

Harry stormed over and tipped him out of the bed. Chelsea winced as Marv hit the floor.

Marv let out a yelp and rubbed his head. "Oww..."

"Now get up and watch over the chicklette while I get a nap to be ready for tonight." Harry growled.

Marv grunted and agreed. "Right then."

Harry went to his own bed. Chelsea whimpered quietly. Marv let out a very exhausted yawn first, then got himself comfortable to look after Chelsea. Chelsea shuffled as far away from Marv as she could get.

Kate was trying to convince a woman to give her and Max their seats on this flight. "$500, a pocket calculator, two first class seats..." she tries, showing the items.

"Is that a real Rolex?" the woman asked Kate, it catching her eye.

"Do you think it is?" Kate asks.

"No..." the woman gave a small shrug. 

Max looked at her necklace and took it off. "But what about this?" she offered to bribe the woman with it to let them get by. "It's from my grandmother... She gave it to me on my fourth birthday, but who knows if it's really valuable or not?" she batted her eyelashes with a cheeky smile.

"Who can tell the Rolex is fake? I also have a ring." Kate says, not allowing Max to give the woman her necklace.

"Oh, that is beautiful!" the woman had to admit, then checked something, but looked back to them. "They're boarding now..."

"We're desperate. I'm begging ... From a mother to a mother ... Please!" Kate pleads.

The woman's husband came up to get his wife.

"This poor woman really needs your help, if you can't take both of us, at least let her..." Max helped. "Losing children is a very heartbreaking thing to happen for a family..."

"Oh, Ed..." the woman looked to her husband.

"Oh, all right." the man says and let the two go.

Kate hugged them both, gave them the stuff and then ran with Max to the airplane with their new tickets.

Max waved to the couple. "Happy Holidays." she wished to them, then rushed with Kate to get a move on.

Soon, they were in the airplane and on their way so they could return to Chicago.


	8. Chapter 8

Marv was half-way asleep again and even starting to see things that weren't there, probably early stages of dreaming, he kind of lauhged out loud at some things. Chelsea looked creeped out. Marv was half awake and half asleep, but it was clear the sleeping part was more prominent. Chelsea started to slowly move away the best she could towards the door.

Marv ended up sliding back ino the chair he was sitting in to keep an eye on Chelsea and was sleeping now. Chelsea tried to be quieter this time. Marv snorted and was nearly drooling now. One noise might get him awake though. Chelsea tried not to make a noise.

"Want some gum?" Max offered to Kate as she took out some for herself once they were seated.

"No thank you, Max." Kate says softly.

Max nodded to that and popped hers in before the plane would take off. Kate looked slightly more relieved, but not by much. The plane took off. Max fell asleep as she slowly chewed her gum and made sure not to swallow it.

"Stop!" Marv called, rather loud, but still quiet and sleepily which made Chelsea stop, but Marv was actually singing in his sleep. "In the name of love~..."

Chelsea looked relieved. She started up again. Chelsea looked relieved once she realized he was just dreaming. She started to move again and huffed a little, darn it it was hard work. Marv snored and mumbled a little inaudibly as he continued to sleep despite having his turn to watch over Chelsea. Chelsea managed to get past most of the things that would make a noise if she hit it.

"Luke... I am your father..." Marv mumbled sleepily.

Chelsea closed her eyes as she tried not to snort. Marv then went back to silent sleeping. Chelsea continued on her way, but her foot got caught on a wire and it pulled over a lamp. The lamp was seeming to slowly fall and it hit the floor, shattering and cracking up in an instant.

Marv snorted then and looked more awake then. "Who's there!?"

Chelsea sped up a little, trying to get out quickly. She growled as she tried to get the wire off her foot. Marv rubbed his eyes and looked around, then saw Chelsea wasn't in her spot and he growled slightly. He got up and went to look for her again before Harry would notice or blame him for her being able to have had escaped. Chelsea continued once her foot was free. 

She didn't bother about being quiet now, trying to go as fast as she could. Marv hopped from the chair and got on his feet, walking to find Chelsea and saw the shattered remains of the lamp. Chelsea was inches from the door. The door seemed to shut right then as Chelsea was very close to escaping again. Chelsea whimpered and turned her head to glance up and behind her.

Marrv was there again, standing over her. "You're really naughty, ain't ya?"

'Mm-mm.' Chelsea tries denying.

"Ya know what I'm gonna do?" Marv tempted.

Chelsea looked wary, but shook her head no.

"I'm afraid you have to be punished..." Marv tormented her by not telling her when and what he was going to do, but he was going to make sure she would 'learn her lesson' about double crossing him and meant serious business.

Chelsea looked scared.

A little while later, a supermarket clerk was watching Kevin, a tiny bit of suspicion and worry in her eyes, was this young boy all alone? Kevin decided to do some grocery shopping since they were running low on food and he should get other dinner ideas besides cheese pizza, no matter how awesome it was. He was almost done and about ready to check-out of there.

As soon as he came to the tills she made a little small talk and told him the price. "That's $19.83, please... Are you here all by yourself?" She says, then asks.

"Ma'am, I'm eight years old, you think I'd be here alone?" Kevin bounced back to the woman. "I don't think so."

"Where's your mom?" She asks.

"In the car." Kevin replied.

"Where's your father?" She then asks.

"He's at work." Kevin seemed to be making this up as he went along.

"What about your brothers and your sisters?" She asks, raising her eyebrow very slightly.

"I'm an only child." Kevin retorted.

"Where do you live?" She asks, finishing packing.

"I can't tell you." Kevin knew not to give out his address to people he didn't know, it was the first law of being a kid.

"Why not?" The clerk asked.

"'Cuz you're a stranger...." Kevin replied, rather mysteriously as he took his bags with him to get back to the house, even if it was winter time, he had also bought some ice cream for Chelsea to maybe cheer her up from the possibly trauma she was undergoing at this very minute.

The clerk watched him go. Kevin lugged the shopping bags down the street.

Marv left Chelsea alone after he did rather graphic things to her, he smiled wickedly as she was now suffering and went to get himself a quick snack or a drink to wake himself up a little more. Chelsea had her eyes closed, sniffling. Harry woke up, joining Marv.

"I'm starved..." Marv grunted.

"Well, get a drink, we'll get a snack courtesy of that girl's purse." Harry smirked.

Marv chuckled at the thoguht of that.

Harry smirked. "What happened anyway?" he asked.

"With me and her?" Marv asked.

"Never mind." Harry says, getting it from just Marv's question.

Marv just laughed and they went to get energy for their day today.

Harry looked at Marv. "Shall we bring her with us? We'll stake out her house today" he says.

"She keeps trying to escape, I wouldn't trust her alone..." Marv seemed to agree with that.

Harry nodded and got a drink of water. He then gave Marv a glass of water for Chelsea. She was no use dead. Marv took the glass and went to see Chelsea, she might have been tormented by them, but they couldn't leave her for dead. Harry went and got his coat and everything. Chelsea opened her eyes when he entered and shuffled away a little.

"I got you a straw..." Marv said to Chelsea once he came in to see her.

Chelsea didn't answer as she was still gagged, but she looked wary of the water. Marv set the glass down for a moment and removed the gag and then shoved the glass in her face. Chelsea flinched but knew she had better do as he said. She sipped at the water, glad there was a straw.

"Yer comin' with us..." Marv mocked her.

Chelsea stopped drinking. "Why?" She wonders, her voice a little croaky from not using it.

"Y-You wanna stay here all alone?" Marv glanced at her.

Chelsea glanced around and shook her head slightly. "No..." she says quietly, it was scary there.

"Then yer comin' with us, little lady..." Marv didn't sound as nasty as before, but still meant serious business.

"Come on, you better get her ready." Harry calls in.

Marv agreed, but he waited until Chelsea would finish her water, however, if she would stall, he would rush her and make her get in the van with them to break into the house like successfully were able to do so far and no little kid that was home alone was going to outsmart them. Harry waited. Chelsea didn't need anymore water. She turned her head away. Marv also got a huge hunk of cheese, then looked down at her and decided to give her some while he would eat the rest, he then forced her into his grip to take her to the van. Chelsea wiggled slightly, but didn't move too much. She felt slightly weak.

Marv made sure she would be secure. "Ready to go?" he then asked Harry once he was now all ready.

"Yes, are you?" He makes sure.

Chelsea looked at them.

"Ready, Freddy." Marv made a rhyme for his own personal amusement, they were all set now. 

Harry drove them to the house, stopping off for Burgers for him and Marv.

The furnace seemed to stare at Kevin.

Kevin collected laundry and glanced back at the furnace, trying to seem brave this time and he seemed to really grow into a brave little kid the more Chelsea was away from him. "Shut up..." he muttered to the machine.

The furnace shut down. Kevin scoffed, collected the laundry basket and went back upstairs, officially ending his fear of the furnace.

The van soon pulled up and Harry started to watch the house. Chelsea whimpered quietly. Marv took his burger out and quickly looked disgusted as his had pickles in them and he hated pickles.

Harry looked at his and realised it didn't have pickles, so he swapped it with Marv. "Looks like nobody's home. I don't get it. Last night, the place is jumping. Something ain't right. Go check it out." he says.

Chelsea closed her eyes.

"Now?" Marv asked, rather foolishly.

"After your burger, yes." Harry says.

"That's fair..." Marv then went to eat the thick and juicy burger he desired.

Chelsea felt queasy. Harry kept his eye on the house. Marv also found it odd and suspicious about the house being empty when there was a 'huge party' before. After he finished his burger, he wrapped up the paper and wiped his mouth. Kevin kept a close look out and could see those two crooks again, no doubt Chelsea was with them and suffering, he remembered his little pizza prank and decided to use it against them this time to see if they would have the same reaction. Harry glanced at Chelsea. Chelsea shuddered slightly.

Marv then looked to Harry. "What if someone's in there...?" he asked, rather nervous, even if the house looked abandoned right now.

"Just be careful and go," Harry huffs, then had a kind of idea. "Take the girl just in case." he says.

"Okay... I can do this..." Marv was determined now. He then hopped out of the van and lazily tossed the paper ball he now had against the snow and went to take Chelsea with him. He opened the back doors and saw her fearful and grievous expression, but didn't take too kindly to it and grabbed her with him.

Chelsea squeaked as she was pulled out.

"Come 'ere..." Marv grunted as he slightly carried her, trying to avoid the slippery and irritable ice.

Chelsea looked fearful for Kevin, hoping he would stay safe. Marv nearly slipped, but didn't fully and was able to keep him and Chelsea balance and he knocked on the door. However, when he did, no one opened the door, but there was rough talking going on that was from the movie Kevin and Chelsea had liked, but Marv wasn't fully sure, but something did sound familiar about it. It was freaking him out though.

"Get the hell out of here." the gangster said.

Chelsea's eyes widened slightly, to keep up appearances.

'All right, Johnny, but what about my money?' the other voice demanded. 'AC said you had some dough for me!'

Marv looked a bit scared, but tried to seem brave which was failing miserably. Chelsea looked relieved, but covered it with worry. Marv was getting increasingly nervous with the argument and how the threats were going to be followed by gunshots. Kevin decided to use the firecrackers he found and decided to use something for convincing gunshots and to make it look like there was a horrible accident happening inside the house to scare off whoever was trying to break in.

Chelsea was glad her mouth was covered as she gave a small smile. Kevin clamped his hands over his ears once the fireworks blasted, but luckily, didn't cause too much damage to the house, but it did make Marv run away, only without Chelsea, like the coward he truly was.

"'Keep the change, you filthy animal'..." Kevin mouthed from the movie once he saw he made a grown man run away like a little kid, he had obviously matured.

Chelsea's legs almost gave out. She sighed in relief though. Marv rushed back to the van, not seeming to realize or care that he had forgotten Chelsea. Kevin was staying in the house until the two bandits were gone so nothing would seem suspicious. He knew he couldn't leave her to freeze, but he didn't want anyone to know he was there. As it was the back door the bandits wouldn't notice.

"What happened, and where is the girl?" Harry asks, slightly angry.

"I don't know who, but somebody just got blown away..." Marv sounded hysterical right now. "Somebody beat us, they're in there. Two of them. There was arguing. One blew the other one away.... Aw man, I forgot the girl!"

Harry looked unbelieving.

"I recognized one of those names though..." Marv thought back about the 'gangsters' in the McCallister house. "I've heard the name 'Snakes' before."

"Snakes ... I don't know no Snakes." Harry says.

"Let's just get outta here..." Marv felt sick and scared. 

"Let's wait and see who it is. We work this neighborhood, too. Suppose the cops finger us for a job, and they start asking us questions about a murder in the area. Won't it be nice to have a face to go with their questions?" Harry grinned.

Marv let that run through his head and he actually liked it. "That's a good idea!"

"Of course it's a good idea." Harry says.

Kevin opened the back door and saw Chelsea was barely in condition to walk on her own, so he wrapped his coat around her and began to bring her back inside the house as quickly and strongly as he could. Chelsea waited for Kevin to undo her bonds and then she would hug him.

Kevin locked the doors and went to help Chelsea out of the bonds. "I can't believe what some people would do to someone innocent..." he sighed.

As soon as she was free, Chelsea pulled her gag off and hugged Kevin tightly. She held him protectively.

Kevin held her back. "I was so worried about you..." he told her, sincerely. "I really missed you... And Chels, don't think I'm crazy for saying this, but I'm kinda missing everybody else." he then admitted about their other family members.

Chelsea remained quiet, but nodded and just held him a little longer. Kevin didn't let go of her until she was ready.

"I-I'm going for a-a bath." Chelsea whispers to her brother.

Kevin let her go then. "Do you want some help?" he offered to her.

"Will you sit with me?" Chelsea asks him, softly.

"Sure..." Kevin agreed. "Let's go get you cleaned up... You also look a little hungry... If you don't want pizza, I did a little grocery shopping."

Chelsea hugged him once more and stood up shakily. "I'd like that." she says softly.

"You want a bath first?" Kevin asked, considerately.

"Yes please, Kev." she says, heading upstairs with him.

Kevin nodded, he helped her upstairs to get a nice, long deserved and relaxing bath.


	9. Chapter 9

Max was looking around while Kate was trying to arrange for a flight, but the news given to them was anything but good.

"Everything's full." They were then told.

"But we have to get there... My son and daughter need us." she tries.

"I'm very sorry, but it is Christmas Eve..." the man reminded them.

"You have to let us go, please!" Max tried to help. "Maybe there's another airline we could go on?"

"Nothing avaliable," the man shook his head, then had an idea for them. "May I help you get a hotel room? Tomorrow we can get you a flight?"

A rather chunky man wearing a hornet yellow jacket with waved sandy hair looked to the two women and saw they could use some help.

"No, we need to be there before Christmas." Kate says, frustrated.

"I'm sorry, you two, but we're doing absolutely everything we can..." the man sounded apologetic. 

Max now yawned and looked a bit miserable. "We've been through heck and back, can you just give us a break?" she nearly sounded like she was begging. "We've been awake for 60 hours, we're tired, dirty, and a little bit hungry..." she then patted her stomach which looked rather flat now. "But we've been to Paris, and Dallas, and.... And..." she looked around. "Umm..."

"Scranton." the man told her where they were now.

"Scranton," Max said then. "And we need to go home to my best friend and her little brother!" she then gestured to Kate. "Her children!" she then added for emphasis.

Kate nodded.

"I'm sorry..." the man still told them. 

"No, you can't do this to us!" Max sounded weak.

Kate looked crestfallen, she headed to go sit down.

Max frowned, she talked with the man some more. "Can't you do anything?"

"I can give you a hotel room, take it or leave it..." the man informed.

Max sighed and felt just as defeated, it was Christmas Eve now and Kevin and Chelsea were going to be alone for the holidays, what a drag.

"Excuse me..." the other man came to the two in distress and seemed to have friends. "You got a little bit of a dilemma. We got a crisis ourselves. Allow me to introduce myself... Gus Polinski."

Kate looked up at him, not meaning to be rude, but was so stressed out. "Who?" She asks, but not too roughly.

"Polka King of the Midwest?" Gus prompted, making it seem like he was a big time celebrity. "The Kenosha Knockers?" 

Max smiled apologetically. "Sorry, we don't know you, sir..."

"Oh, well, I had a few hits a few years ago..." Gus explained, then told them about some of his songs which were mostly Polka based.

"Chicago?" Kate asks, her voice softer.

"No, Sheboygan," Gus replied apologetically. "Very big in Sheboygan."

Max was hesitant to ask since this man seemed to spout out nonsensical things about his career, but she decided to anyway, it couldn't hurt to. "Can you help us?" she finally asked. "We need to get to Chicago as soon as possible..."

"Our flight was canceled, so we're gonna drive," Gus explained. "See the guy in the yellow jacket over there? He's gonna rent us a nice big van to drive to Milwaukee. Now, I heard you had some problems getting to Chicago? To see your friends or something?"

"To get back to my youngest son and my eldest daughter." Kate says softly.

"If you have to get to Chicago, we'll gladly drive you." Gus offered.

Max's ocean blue eyes lit up. "You'd do that for us?"

"Sure," Gus smiled, he seemed like a big and cuddly teddy bear now. "It's Christmastime."

Kate stood up and gave him a hug. "Thank you." she says.

Gus gave a friendly smile to the ladies and followed them to his band to introduce them and include them on their venture back into Chicago.

After a while, Chelsea was more settled in some warmer, comfy clothes, her hair now knot free and her and Kevin having had a nice lunch together. Harry was asleep in the van.

"I think I'll do a little decorating today." Kevin said to Chelsea during their meal.

"Yes, please..." Kevin looked delighted.

Chelsea smiled a bit wider. "What shall I do?" She asks.

"Maybe put the star and lights on?" Kevin smiled sheepishly.

"Need some help bringing in the tree?" Chelsea asks softly.

"I might..." Kevin shrugged.

Chelsea smiled and nodded. "Okay." she says and finished her lunch.

Kevin smiled as he went to finish up his meal and when he did, he decided to take the plates and wash them for Chelsea. Chelsea got their coats and boots ready. Kevin washed up the dishes and when he was done, he went to meet Chelsea. Marv was either dead asleep or daydreaming, either way, he looked more peaceful this time in his slumber as he and Harry fell asleep in the van and didn't go to their old hideout. Chelsea carried a saw and ladder so they could cut down the tree.

Kevin looked around for a good enough tree for them that wouldn't be too big, but still perfect for their home. Once he saw a good enough one in size, he went right to it. "What about this one?" he suggested to Chelsea.

Chelsea looked and nodded. "Yes." she said softly.

Kevin nodded back. Chelsea helped him cut the tree down. Kevin smiled at this, if they couldn't bring the family back, they should at least have a Merry Christmas together. 

Harry woke up. Marv was still alone with his thoughts and his slumber. Harry woke Marv, looking annoyed. Marv snorted and rubbed his eyes, slowly opening them.

"I think we got scammed by a kindergartner," Harry says. "And you gave him his sister back." he growled.

Chelsea then helped him pull it in.

"I said sorry..." Marv mumbled. "But... I couldn't go back there after last night..."

"That was earlier, ya loon." Harry muttered. He undid his belt ready to go and check it out.

Marv grumbled, he decided to go with Harry this time.

Kevin got the door open and they then went to set the tree up in their living room with the decorations they could use. Chelsea set it up for decorating. Kevin came in with the box of decorations he wanted to include. Harry watched through a window. Chelsea was putting up tinsel.

Kevin was rummaging through some of the baubles and took out a nice shiny red one, but he looked a little nervous at first once he saw an evil face looking right behind him that was Harry. "Dad, can you come here and help us?" he asked a little out loud to scare him off.

Chelsea glanced over and her eyes widened. Kevin seemed to freeze in his spot, the crooks weren't falling for this one. Chelsea ushered Kevin into the kitchen. Kevin hid with Chelsea, but he kept an ear out for the two crooks and overheard the plan of them still coming back for the house.

"Remember that kid we saw the other day with the girl?" Harry says to Marv. "He lives here..."

Marv looked too, then looked back to Harry. "But if they're here, their parents must be here..." 

"They're home alone." Harry says.

Marv felt like this was leading up to something. "What, do you wanna come back tonight?" he then asked. "Even with the kid there with the girl?"

"Uh-huh." Harry nods.

Chelsea closed her eyes at hearing that.

"Okay then..." Marv knew how much Harry wanted to steal from this house out of the other ones they broke into before. "I'm still hungry... We'll do it later tonight..." he then helped suggest that. "We ransacked the Hughes place, we can get this one too."

Kevin noticed Marv mentioned the family name Hughes and thought it sounded familiar, but he said nothing.

"Come on, let's go grab something else to eat." Harry agrees.

Chelsea's eyes opened and went wide. "Max...." she whispers. She started to get up.

"Right, come back at 9:00." Marv organized, he may have been slow at some points, but he did have brilliance and actual brain storms once in a while and left with Harry.

"9:00..." Kevin whispered that to memorize it, there was no way those guys were going to get away with robbing them on Christmas Eve.

"I have to go check on Max..." Chelsea says quietly. She hoped nothing happened to Max like it did her.

"Want me to go with you?" Kevin offered, he had an idea, but he would wait if Chelsea wanted or needed him to go with her.

"If you want to, Kev." she whispers.

Kevin did decide to go with her, he also felt a little bad, he was a little kid and all, so he believed the wish he made about making the whole family disappear except for Chelsea was all his fault.

"Don't worry, Kev," Chelsea soothed. "We both wished it."

"Chelsea, I'm so sorry..." Kevin whispered. "If we hadn't made that wish... N-None of this would've happened..."

Chelsea hugged him. "We'd have been robbed anyway, Squirt." she says softly, hugging him.

Kevin hugged her back and saw that Max's place looked rundown, even before it was robbed. It looked like Max didn't live really fabulously there and there was barely any sign of happiness or hope in it and there was very little food and lack of warmth or heat during the brisk winter day's. It just looked downright depressing.

Chelsea went over to the door and knocked, checking if anyone was in. There was no answer. Kevin poked his head into the window and it looked as though the house was more abandoned and no one was there, not even Max. Chelsea looked into the window.

"I wonder where Max and her family are..." Kevin pondered, could they have gone on vacation as well without telling them?

"I don't know... But it looks like they're safe..." Chelsea said softly, relieved.

"I guess..." Kevin wasn't sure what to make of the matter. "Well... We can only hope."

Chelsea nodded softly. "So what's your plan, little brother?" She asks him.

"About those bad guys?" Kevin looked back at her.

Chelsea nodded.

"I want to protect the house and get those guys in trouble..." Kevin tried to piece this all together. "But... I'm not really sure I can do it..." he turned a little nervous and scared suddenly. "I wanted to protect you after they took you..."

Chelsea dropped to her knees and hugged him tightly. "Kevin, you're a bright, smart young boy, and I'm proud to be your sister... You can think of something, and we'll pull it off together." she promises.

Kevin felt warm and comfortable and hugged her back, a little tighter because he needed the embrace. They weren't too far away from the church and there was a Santa Claus shown, getting to his car.

Kevin looked to him and temporarily let go. "I think I need to make a wish first..." he said to Chelsea then.

Chelsea nodded, standing up and taking him over.

Kevin seemed to be more in a rush as the Santa seemed grouchy over a parking ticket. "Santa, hold on..." he stopped the street man in the red coat and hat. "Can we talk to you for a minute?"

"Quickly..." 'Santa' said to them. "Santa's running late..."

"I know you're not the real Santa Claus." Kevin said to him, even if he was a little kid. 

'Santa' glanced at the siblings. "What makes you say that, did your mom tell you?" he asked, slightly defensive.

"We both know how it works." Chelsea timidly smiles.

'Santa' glanced at them, but gave a shrug. "All right."

"But we also know you work for him," Kevin then added. "We'd like it if you gave him a message for us. Our names are Kevin and Chelsea McCallister, 671 Lincoln Boulevard--Do you need the phone number?"

"No, that's alright." 'Santa' let it slide.

"This is extremely important," Kevin got back to the point. "Please tell him, instead of presents, we just want our family back."

"No toys, no presents ... And if he has time, our Uncle Frank too." Chelsea says softly.

"Okay... I'll see what I can do..." 'Santa' looked to them strangely, but even he couldn't burst some family's bubble, it was the holidays. 

Kevin smiled. "Thanks!"

'Santa' saw they were about to leave, but took out a couple of candy canes and decided to be generous with them. "Wait... My elf took the last of the candy canes home to her boyfriend."

Chelsea looked at the 'Santa'.

"Here... Hold out your little paw there..." 'Santa' told Kevin.

Kevin held out his hand and he was given a candy cane. 'Santa' then offered one to Chelsea.

Chelsea took it with a soft timid smile. "Thank you." she says gently.

"There you go... Don't spoil your dinners now." 'Santa' advised. 

"We won't." Kevin promised as he and Chelsea then went off, getting closer to the church to leave.

"SON OF A--" 'Santa' grunted in misfortune and was fading away from them.

"Think we should go in?" Kevin asked as they were at the church's front doors.

Chelsea heard the choir singing and nodded. "Yes." she says softly, after all it could help.


	10. Chapter 10

Kevin and Chelsea walked into the church as there was a choir singing, seeming to have set the mood for them and Kevin instantly felt more safe. Not to say he didn't with Chelsea, but something about the song and the atmosphere made him feel a little more calm and confident. Chelsea took Kevin to sit down. She saw Marley and offered a tiny smile. Kevin noticed him too, but looked slightly frightened.

"May I sit down?" Marley actually spoke up and asked them.

Kevin, deciding not to be rude, allowed him to.

Marley had a small smile and sat down with the two of them, then studied Chelsea. "You seem familiar..."

"Merry Christmas, Uncle Mar." Chelsea says quietly, calling him by the nickname she did when she was younger. She knew he would never hurt them.

Kevin glanced between the two. "You guys know each other?" he asked softly.

"Oh, yes," Marley smiled fondly. "Chelsea used to visit all the time," he looked back to the choir. "That's my granddaughter, the little red-haired girl..."

Kevin looked to her and she seemed to look back at them for a moment, but never broke out of her song.

"She's about your age," Marley told Kevin. "Do you know her?"

"No..." Kevin replied softly.

"Kevin's too smart to be looking at girls yet." Chelsea smiled softly, obviously not insulting his granddaughter just trying to keep the mood lighter.

Marley actually had a chuckle to that, he was trying to make Kevin feel comfortable, he then had an idea of why the little boy was probably barely talking with him. "You can say hello when you see me. You don't have to be afraid. There's a lot of things going around about me, but none of it's true. Okay?"

Kevin looked to him, but gave a small nod.

"You've been good this year?" Marley then asked.

"I think so..." Kevin avoided his gaze. 

"You swear to it?"

Kevin looked guilty then. "No..."

Chelsea looked up at the cross and wrapped her arms softly around herself, over her stomach. Marley couldn't believe they would cause trouble.

"We've been kind of pains lately..." Kevin admitted since a church was a good place to be if you felt bad about yourself. "We said things we shouldn't have... But... Mostly me... I really haven't been too good this year to anyone besides Chelsea..."

"Hmm..." Marley seemed to understand where they were coming from.

Chelsea put an arm around Kevin. "We love our family... Even if we say we don't like them sometimes..." she says softly. She wondered if what happened at the thieves' place was her fault.

Marley gave a small nod. "How you feel about family is a complicated thing. Especially with an older brother. Deep down, you'll always love him. But you can forget that you love him. You can hurt them, they can hurt you. That's not just because you're young."

Kevin couldn't feel the same way about Buzz, maybe when he got older, but right now, he couldn't say he even liked him.

"You want to know the real reason why I'm here?" Marley asked them, then looked to his granddaughter again. "I couldn't come hear her tonight... I'm not welcome."

"At church?" Kevin asked, a little surprised.

"You're always welcome at church," Marley had a small chuckle, but looked a little painful on the inside. "I'm not welcome with my son..."

Chelsea used her spare hand and took Marley's hand to comfort him. Marley gently squeezed Chelsea's hand, they had gotten along well as neighbors, a lot better than anyone else he probably had ever met. Kevin looked very curious of what probably happened, but he wouldn't force it out of the older man if he didn't want to talk about it.

"Years back, before you and your family moved on the block, I had an argument with my son." Marley finally explained.

"How old is he?" Kevin then wondered.

"He's grown up. We lost our tempers, and I said I didn't care to see him anymore. He said the same, and we haven't spoken to each other since..." Marley sounded a little sad that had to happen now.

"If you miss him... You should call him." Chelsea says gently.

Kevin agreed to that idea.

"I'm afraid if I call, he won't talk to me..." Marley replied.

"How do you know?" Kevin then asked.

Marley glanced to them and looked away again. "I don't know... I'm just afraid."

Kevin didn't think someone older than him could be afraid of anything, but then again, Chelsea must have been afraid when they were separated, he then thought back to his former fear of the furnace when he did laundry the other day. "I was afraid of our basement. It's dark, there's weird stuff down there, and it smells funny, that sort of thing. It's bothered me for years. Basements are like that. I made myself go down to do some laundry and I found out it's not so bad. I worried about it, but if you turn on the lights, it's no big deal."

Marley looked curious, though that was a mature response. "What's your point?" he finally asked.

"My point is that Chelsea is right, you should call your son." Kevin insisted.

"And even if he doesn't talk to you, at least you'll know, then you can stop worrying about it and then you won't have to be afraid anymore." Chelsea says softly.

"No matter how mad I was, I'd talk to Dad," Kevin added. "Especially around the holidays..." he gave a small shrug. "I dunno, just give it a shot... For your granddaughter anyway. I'm sure she misses you. And the presents. I send her a check. I wish our grandparents did that. They always send us clothes and dresses."

Chelsea nodded and then closed her eyes a little and let the music of the choir wash over her. Marley found Kevin to be quite amusing, the choir ended their one song and moved onto Carol of the Bells.

"You two better run home where you belong," Marley advised the kids. "Think about what I said. All right?"

"Okay." Kevin agreed, then tried to wake Chelsea up.

Chelsea opened her eyes slowly and looked around quickly, but then relaxed.

"Come on, Chelsea, let's go home." Kevin told her.

Chelsea nodded and stood up with Kevin. She gave Marley a hug. "Merry Christmas, Uncle Mar." she smiles gently.

"Yeah, Merry Christmas." Kevin nearly echoed, he now had a good feeling about the man and they were going to be friends from now on.

Marley nodded to them with a small smile. "Merry Christmas." he then told them.

Kevin then went with Chelsea to their house, they had to protect it, he was now more serious and more motivated now, ready to take down the bullying robbers and force them to spend their Christmas behind bars.

"This is our house, Kev... We have to protect it." Chelsea tells him.

"Yes..." Kevin agreed, he then started to work on a very well thought out battle plan, showing he was very wise beyond his years and he was going to set traps. "Be very careful, Chelsea... I don't want you to get hurt..." he said to her, sounding a little older than her.

Chelsea kissed his cheek. "I will, Kev." she promises.

Kevin went to set traps such as mousetraps in the basement with a few loose bits, a bucket of paint, various toy cars spread across the floor and glass balls by the window in case they tried to come in and it would break Harry and Marv's feet. He had electrified one of the handles, warning Chelsea of the obstacles and memorizing where they would be. 

It was getting closer and closer to 9:00, but luckily for Kevin, he was almost done with his little traps and he even got out a toy gun to look very serious. They had a little time left to have a late dinner until those bad guys would come along. Chelsea popped them something in the microwave. Kevin carefully lit candles for them to make this a very special Christmas Eve dinner, even if it wasn't big and fancy like a turkey with various people over, but it would do for now. After lighting the candles, he set the lighter down and didn't burn or catch anything on fire, then waited for Chelsea to come with their dinner.

Chelsea came over with the plates and set Kevin's in front of him. "Enjoy, Squirt." she says softly.

Kevin hid a chuckle, feeling pretty hungry. Before they ate though, he put his hands to a praying position and bowed his head with his eyes shut. Chelsea did the same too, but gave a slight addition to Kevin's though mentally.

"Bless this nutritious, microwaveable macaroni and cheese dinner and the people who sold it on sale... Oh, and Chelsea for preparing it for us..." Kevin did a quick prayer so they could eat sooner. "Amen."

"Amen..." Chelsea repeats, quietly.

Kevin nodded, then started to eat his late dinner with Chelsea. Chelsea ate a bit, but not much.

Kevin got a good amount since he had a little bit extra, but he jolted slightly once the clock tolled. "I'm sorry, Chelsea..." he said to her, then blew out the candles as it was now 9:00, Harry and Marv were now on their way. "This is it..."

Chelsea had nodded and took her place. Kevin got to his by the unneeded doggy door and had a weapon to use against the crooks.

Harry got out of the van. "We'll go to the back door," he said. "Maybe he'll let us in. You never know."

"Yeah, he's a kid," Marv scoffed. "Kids are stupid." he then added, a little hypocritically. 

Harry knocked on the back door. "Merry Christmas, little fellow. We know that you are in there, and that you and your sister are all alone." he says.

"Yeah, kid, come on, open up," Marv added, thinking of a way to fool Kevin. "It's Santy Claus and his elf! We're not gonna hurt you or your lovely sister!"

Kevin got the doggy door open slightly, but none of them noticed and he pulled out his toy BB gun swiftly and quietly through the door and made a steady aim at one of them.

"We're not going to hurt you." Harry agreed.

Chelsea stood on guard in the living room.

"No, no, got some nice presents for ya," Marv grinned. "Be a good little fella and open the door."

Kevin shot one of them in an uncomfortable place and it ended up being Harry. Harry moaned and hopped away, holding his crotch. Chelsea stayed there as that was one of the places they could try next.

"What?" Marv didn't see the shot and wondered why Harry was acting like that. "What happened?"

Harry couldn't answer, but gestured to the dogflap.

Marv went down and popped his head through the door, noticing Kevin with his gun. "Hello..." he greeted with a cheesy grin to both Kevin and Chelsea.

"Hi." Kevin greeted him, then shot him too.

Chelsea had popped her head around to check Kevin, but made a quick 'retreat' back into the living room. Kevin had a silent cheer in victory as he went off himself, avoiding his little traps.

"That little jerk is armed!" Marv grunted to Harry, this was no ordinary kid.

Harry went quickly around to the front of the house, but slipped on some ice and fell on his back. Chelsea giggled quietly and shortly as she saw that. Marv went for the basement while Harry would go to the front door. Kevin chuckled as Harry was going to the front door, he had electrified it. Harry got up and used the railings to get up the steps. However, he ended up slipping again and falling back down them.

Marv braced himself before going down the steps, he took one step and slipped himself, but ended up falling down the stairs. He kept a crowbar handy and wasn't going to let slipping and falling stop him and used the crowbar to pull himself up. He looked through the door window, but couldn't see much due to the curtain, but it caused him to fall back down with his crowbar hitting him on the way down. Harry was knocked out cold due to the fall. However, once he got back up and tried to get to the door, he fell right back down.

Marv tried to pull himself up, his feet skidding from the icy ground in front of the door. He tried so hard to open the door with his crowbar, but he saw it was actually simply unlocked. He shut the door behind him as he tried to look around in the dark, either for something to steal or the kids, whichever would come first. He tried to click the light on, but this broke off the string and the light bulb attached and made a laundry iron fall from the laundry chute and fall right on his head and made him fall again. Harry then woke up and pulled himself up to the front door and gripped the handle. He held on until he heard sizzling then slipped back down the stairs and stuck his burned hand into the snow. Chelsea winced at his pained screams.

Kevin was just cheering at the misfortune of the ones who truly deserved it and not him and Chelsea like with the family. He had watched Harry get his hand burned and was cooling it down in the sand. Marv took his shoes off to creep up the stairs and be very, very careful. However, his shoes and socks were off because the steps had been glued down and had taken them off for him, making him go barefoot, he screamed though once a nail went right through his foot and he fell back on the hard, concrete floor.

Harry ran up to the back, grumbling to himself. He then checked the dog flap and doorknob were safe and forced the door open. "You're both dead!" He shouts. He then entered only for a blowtorch to burn his head and he ran out, screaming and dove into a pile of snow.

Chelsea waited in the living room nervously. Marv picked his crowbar up again and limped slightly as he opened the basement door and suddenly fell. 

"Don't worry, Chels..." Kevin soothed his sister, thinking she was probably worried about the bad guys going to get them and punish them for their misdeeds.

Harry touched the top of his sizzling scalp. He became infuriated, then ran back towards the house. He kicked open the door. "Where are you, you little creeps!?" He shouted.

Chelsea offered a weak smile to her brother.

Marv climbed up and it was harder to go by barefoot with the snow and the ice and was even worse than with shoes or boots to cross. He trudged through the snow and saw an open window with the Christmas tree showing and glowing brightly tonight. "Harry, I'm comin' in!" he called and rushed to get in through the window, unknowing of the shattered ornaments that would sting his feet.

Kevin laughed a little from Harry's yells. "Oh, no, we're really scared!" he called, obviously not.

"It's too late for you, kids. We're already in the house. We're going to get you." Harry says as he walked towards the dining room door.

Chelsea had rolled them under the window. She then waited a safe distance away.

"Okay, come and get us!" Kevin tempted once he got the fan ready that was behind a large, messy pile of pillow feathers. Right after he said that, he had went off and let Harry to a classical punishment of being tarred and feathered, only, not really any tar involved.

Marv didn't think to look down and he felt it was too easy to get into the house, but took it anyway and set his feet down, only to feel a worse pain than metaphorical pins and needles. It even made him fall and grab his feet, he really had enough of these shenanigans. "I'M GONNA KILL THAT KID!" he snapped.

Chelsea gasped and tried to bolt past to get to Kevin. Harry wiped the glue and feathers from his own face. Marv stood up and grunted as he walked over more fragile and easily harm inducing ornaments. That was when the two crooks got together and saw each other since they first came to the house. Kevin was placing toy racecars down on the floor to make the bad guys slip and fall even on the inside and not just the outside. Chelsea stood at the top of the stairs with Kevin.

"Marv?" Harry asked.

"Harry?" Marv asked himself, curious of the feathers.

"Why the Hell did you take your shoes off?" Harry asked.

"Why are you dressed like a chicken?" Marv then asked. 

"We're up here, you morons!" Kevin called as he sat at the top of the steps with Chelsea. "Come and get us!"

Harry ran with Marv,only for them both to slip on the toy cars. Chelsea hid a small smile.

Kevin was smiling more and looked more evil than they were right now. "You guys give up, or you thirsty for more?" he taunted. "Come on." he then told his older sister and went up the other set of stairs to get the paint buckets.

Marv was struggling to get up, but eventually found his feet and went to follow Harry. Harry got up, stepping on Marv as he did so. He headed up the stairs. Chelsea let the first paint can swing down.

"Heads up!" Harry shouted to Marv, before ducking.

Marv wasn't as lucky, the paint can hit him clear against his forehead, making him fall backward, he really was the unluckier of the duo. Kevin waited a moment before releasing the other one.

"Don't worry, Marv, I'll get them for you." Harry says, only to get hit by the second one the moment he turned around. He then fell landing on Marv.

Chelsea pulled Kevin futher up the corridor.

"They're only kids, Harry," Marv grunted slightly with a small, dazed smile, but was still determined. "We can take 'em."

"Ahh, shut up, will you!" Harry huffs, angry.

Marv noticed that Harry was missing some teeth, more importantly, this gold tooth. 

"My gold tooth. My gold tooth. I'll kill them. I'll kill them!" Harry screamed in anger. He then ran upstairs and tripped on the trip wire.

"This is fun." Kevin giggled like the child he was as he escaped more with Chelsea.

Chelsea nodded. "Kevin, go call the police... But don't give your real name." she whispers to him.

"Of course..." Kevin understood that and went to quickly do it and was going under the pseudonym of Murphy and even lowered his voice to sound like a grown-up and not some little kid.

Chelsea waited for him. She then sent him ahead to the attic. Buzz's tarantula was crawling across one of the steps then. Kevin hung up the phone and rushed to go with Chelsea as Harry and Marv were dangerously and closely behind them. He was closer to the door after the bad guys fell down and Marv had grabbed his ankle. 

"I got you!" Marv laughed in victory. "I got the boy, Harry!"

Harry was flat on the floor. Chelsea pulled Kevin free, letting him get the tarantula to put on Marv.

"Harry, gimme a hand!" Marv grunted as Kevin was now free.

Kevin tried to be brave and catch the fuzzy arachnid which was more afraid of him than he was of it and he gently placed it onto Marv's face. When Marv saw this, he screamed like a little girl, being deathly afraid of those things and tried to shake it off. The spider landed on Harry's stomach. Chelsea got Kevin to move ahead first. Marv couldn't stand the 'bug' anymore and wanted to get rid of it, he grabbed his crowbar, ready to hit at it.

Kevin was a little nervous when he got to the window, he made a way to get from the attic over to the treehouse by making use out of bike handlebars. Harry was hit on the chest. He grabbed the crowbar off Marv, hitting the taller man three times. As it could only carry one person at a time, a long bit of rope was attached so it could be pulled back up. Chelsea pulled it up and took the long rope off the handlebars. Marv was looking for the tarantula, but he was told to go right upstairs with Harry behind him to get those kids. 

Kevin was still nervous about hovering over to the treehouse, but he would be in an even scarier position if he didn't move along. Chelsea managed to undo the rope and then was about to do the same as Kevin. Marv and Harry were coming their way. Kevin waited for Chelsea after he made it safely to the treehouse. Chelsea glanced back and jumped just before they got too close.

Marv looked around first as Chelsea was on her way to join Kevin in the treehouse. "Maybe they committed suicide?" he speculated.

"Down here, jerks!" Chelsea calls, safely in the treehouse with Kevin.

"Come and get us before we call the police!" Kevin also called out.

"Let's get 'em!" Marv was ready to continue the chase.

"Wait, wait, that's just what they want us to do." Harry said.

Chelsea went and got the garden shears.

"But they're gonna call the cops!" Marv reminded him.

Kevin followed after her.

"From a treehouse?" Harry asks, like Marv was dumb. He started to shimmy along the rope.

Chelsea watched and waited until both were a third across.

"O-Out the window?" Marv got nervous suddenly. "I-I'm not going out the window..." Next to spiders, he did not like heights, but he had to go along with it, trying to ignore how sick to his stomach he felt about this and how it felt like a very long way down. 

Kevin came back with hedge clippers and put them across from the rope. "Hey, guys!" he mocked the bad guys. "Check this out!" he was going to cut the rope with the clippers and make them fall flat on the ground.

Chelsea smirked and cut the rope. The two men hit the side of the house, before landing in the snow.

Chelsea then helped Kevin get down from the treehouse, letting him go first, following to make sure they didn't get Kevin. "Go to the Murphy's place, Kev." she whispers.

Kevin nodded, he carefully and quickly went to Mitch Murphy's house since he had placed the phone call there for the police to go after Harry and Marv. He had to run, but still be careful from the slick and misplaced ice that could be anywhere on the ground if he wasn't too careful. Chelsea didn't notice the criminals getting back up, but passed by them anyway, glad Kevin was going ahead first. Harry got up.

Marv tried to get up with him, not slipping as much, but still struggled.

"Hey, I'm callin' the cops!" Kevin continued to taunt them with that as he was closer to the Murphy's front door.

"Wait, he wants us to follow them. I got a better idea. Come on." Harry says, leading Marv off.

Chelsea tried to buy Kevin time by throwing a snowball at each man. After Kevin left the front door, he went to the doors that were in the back of the house and opened them the best he could. Once he got one door open, he hopped down and it was flooding in the basement for some reason, but he just kept walking and made it up the stairs. Marv growled at the snowball throwing and glared to Chelsea. Harry went on, grabbing Chelsea and shoving her to Marv as they made their way into the kitchen to cut Kevin off.

Chelsea yelped, when he was angry Harry was quick. Marv actually seemed surprised at the force as he looked down to Chelsea and found himself temporarily in another world. He shrugged it off briefly and grabbed Chelsea's arm to make her go with him and now they had to get her 'baby brother'. Kevin carefully went up the stairs, unaware of what had happened to Chelsea with the crooks, but he opened the door and was given a surprise in which he would not ever want for Christmas. Chelsea was surprised at the look he gave but she was also terrified to be near him again.

"Hi pal. We outsmarted you this time." says Harry, as he grabbed a hold of Kevin. He then hung Kevin up on the door hook.

Kevin was downright horrified, especially with Chelsea taken in as a hostage.

"What're we gonna do?" Marv asked as he didn't let go of Chelsea, he seemed redder than when the iron hit him.

Chelsea was trembling, looking worried to Kevin.

"We're going to do exactly what they did to us," Harry smirked. "We'll burn his head with a blowtorch." 

"Smash their faces with irons!" Marv sounded really scary then. "I'm gonna make the girl pay for runnin' away!"

Little did they all know, someone was coming to their rescue. Marley had come and he was carrying his shovel in his hands and he was being very swift and quiet. Kevin was just really scared and worried what was going to happen to him and Chelsea right now to notice Old Man Marley. Marley knocked Marv head on the head first with his shovel, making him let go of Chelsea and he then came, knocking Harry out, so he could save the innocent children. Harry was about to bite off one of Kevin's fingers but was knocked unconscious. Chelsea flinched away from Marv and instantly covered her ears and closed her eyes. Kevin was still shocked, but a little relieved.

Marley came to the two of them and helped them out of their scrape. "Come on... Let's get you two home." 

"Chelsea... Chelsea!" Kevin was worried about her, she seemed not well.

Chelsea remained silent, but relaxed very slightly as she followed Marley and Kevin back home.


	11. Chapter 11

Harry and Marv were soon arrested, Harry glaring at the siblings and the old man. Marv didn't have much to say. Kevin smiled mockingly to Harry and even gave a wave from inside the house once they were now safe and sound. Chelsea made sure Kevin stuck close, and helped clear up the traps. Kevin was happy that Harry and Marv were getting what they deserved. It was just great. 

"Now, are you two going to be okay?" Marley asked Kevin and Chelsea after he brought them back home.

"You've done enough, thank you, Merry Christmas." Kevin hugged him before he left.

Chelsea nodded softly and tried to smile.

"I ought to get going..." Marley smiled to them. "You're both welcome over anytime."

Kevin smiled to the man as he walked off, feeling eternally grateful of him. He looked to Chelsea. "Want a cookie before Santa takes them all?" he offered sweetly to her of course.

"No thanks, Kev... I just want to sleep." Chelsea whispers.

Kevin nodded, he carried the plate of milk and cookies and put them where they were often placed for Santa to visit tonight and leave presents for the family. There were even the carrot sticks for the reindeer and he arranged the presents nicely and neatly. He then went to the stockings to make sure they were fondly in place to make it look like a real family Christmas, even if it was just him and Chelsea here. "I'll be up in a minute." he said to her as she went to sleep.

"Can we bunk in Mom and Dad's bed for tonight?" She asks him, softly.

Kevin gave a small smile, that was actually not a bad idea. "That sounds nice..." he agreed softly.

Chelsea nodded and got into her pajamas upstairs then climbed into their parents bed, waiting for Kevin.

Kevin wanted to make sure everything was perfect, once he saw it was, he went upstairs to join his oldest sibling. "Chelsea... Even if we've been left home alone for so long... I'm glad I at least have you."

Chelsea smiled gently and pulled him into a hug. "We'll never be apart, little bro." she whispers.

"We'll always be together." Kevin smiled back once they were comfortable as it was the night before Christmas, and now through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a fat-headed louse.

Meanwhile, Kate and Max were still riding with the polka band, they were loudly playing their music at first, but now resting as it was a long ride to Chicago.

"I'm a bad parent." Kate says quietly.

"No, you're not, Mrs. Mac..." Max tried to soothe. "My father was a bad parent."

"Oh, the little lady is right..." Gus agreed, he actually sounded sympathetic this time. "You're beating yourself up there, these things happen..."

"Tell me, have you ever gone on vacation and left your child home?" Kate asks.

Gus tried to think long and hard about this with experience of his own family with his friends having family troubles of their own. "No..." he then said to Kate. "But I did leave one at a funeral parlor once."

"Really?" Max asked him.

"Yeah... It was terrible too, I was all distraught and everything..." Gus frowned in memory, imagining what that might have been like. "The wife and I, we left the little tyke in the funeral parlor all day... You know, we went back at night, we came to our senses, there he was. Apparently he was there all day with a corpse..."

Max looked a little sick to her stomach, she did not like dead bodies. Kate looked at him.

"He was okay," Gus assured, ending the story the best he could once he saw Max appeared to be have been green. "You know, after six or seven weeks... He came around and started talking to us again. They get over it, kids are resilient like that."

"Please stop..." Max whimpered slightly.

"Maybe we shouldn't talk about this." Kate says quietly.

"I was just trying to cheer you up," Gus insisted. "I'm sorry I did. Take deep breaths and go to your happy place." he then advised Max after apologizing to Kate.

Max tried to do just that after Gus's story made her feel carsick and the van was showing no signs of stopping.

The next morning, Chelsea was still asleep, curled up into a tight ball. The snow was very fluffy as it was snowing and it was truly a white Christmas. Kevin had hugged Chelsea in his sleep as a sense of security. He felt very safe and comfortable now. He let go briefly and sat up in the large bed with a small yawn as he realized what today was. 

It was December 25th: The Day of Christmas! He saw new presents on a table across from him and Chelsea that he had not seen before. Could the family finally be back home? He had to find out! Chelsea seemed dead to the world, she was that tired. However, if Kevin woke her up, she would wake up.

"Chelsea..." Kevin gently shook her once he climbed out of their parents' bed. "Wake up... It's Christmas!"

Chelsea blinked slowly and opened her eyes. She sat up yawning. "Merry Christmas." she whispers.

Kevin smiled to her. "Merry Christmas, Chelsea." he told her back, in a very good mood right now.

"Is everyone back?" She wonders quietly.

"I don't know... I was about to go down and see." Kevin replied honestly, he was just as curious and wondrous as she was.

Chelsea got up and made sure her dressing robe was nice and secure around her. She had put on actual pajama top and bottoms that she never usually wore.

"Mom!" Kevin called out as he rushed down the stairs, moving quicker than Chelsea, even he had a robe on. "Mom?" He looked everywhere with a hopeful smile on his face, but he didn't see anybody else.

Chelsea looked at the picture of the family in the picture frame. She couldn't help a dark thought that crossed her mind. Kevin looked disappointed, but he didn't dare to cry. He opened the front door as it was lightly snowing outside, he looked around for a car or something to show his family was brought back to him as a Christmas present, but sadly, there was nothing out there, but snow. He glumly walked back into the house, looking very unhappy like this was the worst Christmas ever. Chelsea looked over out of the bedroom door and started to slowly walk out. Kevin looked at the family photo, even if he was tousled upside down in it, he grew to miss it. He heard something though that caught his attention and hit him like a ton of bricks.

The van pulled up after Kevin went back inside. Kate ran out and into the house. "Kevin! Chelsea!" She shouts.

"Thank you so much, Merry Christmas..." Max quickly told Gus, despite him making her sick about the funeral parlor story, she actually enjoyed his company and grew to like him, but rushed with Kate. "Kevin! Chelsea!" she called with the McCallister mother.

Kate saw how perfect the house looked, and saw Kevin once he was down first. "Merry Christmas, sweetheart. Oh, Kevin, I'm so sorry." she says softly.

Chelsea followed downstairs, and looked at her friend and mother. Kevin smiled once his mother apologized due to their little argument and him being home alone, except with Chelsea of course, so he rushed and hugged her first.

Max looked around. "Wow... Look at this place..." she then looked to her best friend. "Chelsea, I never knew you were this awesome at home decorating." she assumed Chelsea had done it since she was older and all.

Kate hugged him tightly. Chelsea shook her head and looked towards Kevin. She watched the scene between her brother and mother and her expression didn't move from the 'calm' look she had. Max looked even more shocked, then looked to little Kevin. He did this himself? 

After Kate and Kevin broke out of the hug, he had a very important question to ask. "Where's everybody else?"

"They couldn't come, they wanted to so much..." Kate says.

Chelsea visibly flinched as the door suddenly opened. Buzz opened the door and he was already bickering with the others as they magically and mysteriously appeared. Kevin actually looked happy to see all of them, even if he only liked Chelsea while everybody else would just turn on him and they would do the same to her. Max was just surprised, period. Kate let Kevin go after a minute more. Chelsea stayed where she was, looking at her family. Peter even came to hug Kevin and Chelsea, Kevin's other sisters, Megan and Linnie, kissed their mother, then went to hug Chelsea. 

"Hey guys," Buzz called to Kevin and Chelsea. "It's cool you guys didn't burn the place down."

Kevin never thought he'd become friends with Buzz, but they shared a handshake together. Chelsea hid a small flinch and hugged the ones who hugged her back.

"How did you guys get home?" Kate asks.

"We took the morning flight you didn't want to wait for." Peter informed his wife before going to embrace her.

Max smiled, this was truly a happy day for the McCallister family, even if she wasn't related to any of them. Chelsea looked at her friend, biting her lower lip nervously. Kate hugged him back.

"Chels?" Max whispered, going to her, sensing something terrible must have happened and this wasn't as happy as she thought it was.

Kevin just smiled everybody was together again and maybe things would be different from now on as his parents shared wishes of Merry Christmas to each other. Chelsea opened her mouth, but couldn't get any words out. She hugged her friend softly.

Max hugged back, gently stroking her back and tried to soothe. "I may not be apart of this family... And I may be an only child, but you're always my sister."

Chelsea held her tighter, but not too tight. She wondered how to show Max her home. She didn't want to ruin her Christmas though. Kevin told the others what he did with Chelsea, but didn't give away that they were nearly robbed. When the others went away, Peter noticed Harry's gold tooth and went to inspect it. Max decided to maybe stick around a little longer, she didn't really have anywhere else to go, plus Chelsea looked like she really needed a friend indeed. Chelsea stuck close to Max. She only felt comfortable around her and Kevin right now.

Kevin did enjoy having his family back, but he was thinking back to someone else. Someone who had earned his trust and friendship. He went to the nearest window that viewed to next door and wondered how 'Uncle Mar' was spending his holiday. It was still snowing gently and he saw a family arriving to Marley's home and they had even brought a little girl with them. Chelsea came over too, with Max. Marley's son had brought his wife and daughter to meet Marley. It was a truly happy sight, even when Marley picked up his eight-year-old granddaughter and looked to the window and gave a joyful smile to Kevin and Chelsea and even waved to them. 

Kevin smiled and waved right back, he did not know how Chelsea was feeling about now. Max felt warm and fuzzy for the Marleys and shuffled her feet. Chelsea gave a small wave, and only managed to give a tiny smile. The Marley family went inside to have their own happy holiday.

"KEVIN!" Buzz yelled from upstairs. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY ROOM!?"

"I need to go." Kevin told Max and Chelsea, then ran off to hide. 

Max sighed, she never understood about sibling rivalry. Chelsea flinched at Buzz's yell.

"Come on, why don't we sit down?" Max offered. "You look... Puny..." she then said, not trying to offend, but still, Chelsea looked distant and a little bit of a shrinking violet.

Chelsea nodded softly and followed Max to where they could sit in peace. Max had always been there for Chelsea, they were friends since they were little kids up until she had to leave school in eighth grade after her grandmother had gotten sick and she had to take up various odd jobs, but now that they were both adults, they were going to keep more in touch. In contrast to Chelsea, she was an only child with no parents around and lived very dirt poor while Chelsea of course had a bunch of brothers and sisters and still had a very rich and glamorous house, though still not exactly living like aristocrats. Max gave a friendly smile. "You can tell me anything..." she reminded with a gentle coo.

Chelsea couldn't bring herself to tell Max yet. But a few months passed and Chelsea showed up on Max's doorstep. She knocked softly, but audibly.


	12. Chapter 12

Max put her bowl of noodles into the microwave and set the timer for them before going to the door, she then went to open it and greeted Chelsea. "Hello!" she smiled fondly to her best friend, but looked worried at the expression on her face. "Something's wrong..."

"Yeah..." Chelsea whispers, having been able to get over her mental fear of talking to people, only talking to Max and Kevin though. She sniffled and wiped her eyes. "Can I come in?" She asks in a whisper.

Max nodded, she opened the door for Chelsea. "Of course... You wanna watch TV?" she offered, attempting to make a joke about her family's poor lifestyle. "We got three channels like in the old days."

Chelsea came in, but shook her head at the TV idea. "Is there somewhere we can talk?" She asks.

"It's just me here, Chels..." Max said softly. "Grandma's at Bingo, I was just about to have some lunch."

"Well, you can eat while we talk." Chelsea says softly. She went to where Max would eat and wiped her eyes on her sleeve.

"You want something?" Max offered as she went to check on her noodles. "I got some milk that's gonna go bad in a week or so..."

Chelsea shook her head and almost started crying from the implication her mind jumped too at that question. After taking a second to calm down, she looked down at the table. "I-I went to the d-doctor's today..." she says softly.

"Oh?" Max asked once she took her bowl out and mixed up the noodles.

"Yeah... I-I started throwing u-up in th-the mornings... A-And I've gained weight..." Chelsea says quietly, not going to say the biggest bit until Max sat down.

Max's face paled, she had an idea of what probably happened, but she didn't want to flat out ask about it, when it happened and who did it, but her curiosity was piqued. "Ch-Chelsea... A-Are you... What I think you are...?" she sounded scared, nervous, and worried for her best friend.

"Y-Yeah... I-I'm pregnant" Chelsea said, her eyes unfocused as she looked at the wall.

Max slowly slurped her next noodle and finished it with a heavy gulp. "Oh, Chelsea... I-I'm happy for you, congratulations, but... You don't seem happy..."

Chelsea shook her head. "It... Wasn't planned... The f-father had me hostage..." she whispers.

Max looked even more scared. "Was it one of those brainless bandits?" she then asked, though sounded a little serious.

Chelsea shivered but nodded. "The tall one... Marv." she says quietly.

"Oh, Chelsea..." Max frowned in sadness for her friend. "I'm so sorry."

"What should I do?" Chelsea sniffs. "I-I can't tell anyone, b-but you and K-Kevin."

"Oh, Chelsea, it'll be okay..." Max set her lunch down and scooted closer to Chelsea. "Oh, what CAN you do...?" she frowned, trying to think of a solution.

Chelsea hugged her friend, even though it was bad, she would never get rid of the baby.

"Y-You know, Chelsea..." Max knew this sounded risque, but maybe it would help make her friend feel better. "If you want, you can just get rid of the baby... Either by adoption or abortion... But it's your decision..."

"N-Not Abortion... M-Maybe adoption..." Chelsea whispers.

"Maybe..." Max agreed then, realizing how bad that sounded and Chelsea would never do such a thing. "I'm very sorry about this, Chelsea..." She just wished there was something she could do.

Chelsea hugged her friend again. "H-Help tell m-my parents?" She asks softly.

"I'll try..." Max gave an apologetic smile.

Chelsea nodded and made sure her shirt didn't ride up to show her stomach.

Max finished up her lunch and then went to set the bowl in the sink. "Now or later?" she then asked after she came back to Chelsea once she had a fuller belly now.

"N-Now... I-If possible..." Chelsea says quietly.

"Sure..." Max smiled, they then made their way out, the snow was melting, but the flowers were still away for the season, but Spring was still just around the corner and all loved the season, except for Max, due to her constant allergies more extreme during Spring than any other time of the year.

Chelsea wrapped her arms around herself, nervous, as they walked to her house. Max kept close by Chelsea as they walked to their house.

Kevin was given slightly better treatment around home, but still, he felt closer to Chelsea, and now Max was even his friend. Overtime he had grown worried about Chelsea since she had been acting differently and didn't seem as sweet and lovable, sure, she still meant well, but she was very different. Chelsea let Max in first and followed.

Kate was in the kitchen baking brownies. Max felt weird about being the first one in, but she cracked the door a bit and walked in with Chelsea. Peter was just finishing up a phone call and for the family, it seemed like a peaceful day. Kevin was playing a video game by himself while everybody else was doing their own thing.

Kate looked as the girls entered the kitchen. "Hello, Max, what are you doing here?" She asks, nicely though.

Chelsea hid slightly behind Max.

"Um... Well... Chelsea and I have something to tell you..." Max said softly and calmly.

Peter overheard them and came to see what was going on. "What's going on, honey?" he asked, then saw who was there. "Oh, Maxine..."

Max hid a flinch about being called that, she couldn't stand that name. "Yes..." 

Kevin paused his video game and looked over the couch to see Max and Chelsea at the door.

"Yes?" Kate asks, sounding hopeful that Chelsea would finally talk again.

Chelsea opened her mouth, but closed it, her lower lip trembling a little.

"Um... Do you want me to tell her?" Max quietly offered, seeing how Chelsea didn't talk to anyone anymore unless it was herself or Kevin. 

Peter looked hopeful too, but a little unhappy as Chelsea didn't say a word. Kate tried not to be too disappointed. Chelsea nodded slowly.

"Mr. and Mrs. McCallister..." Max gave them their full names instead of when she was a child and called them 'Mr. and Mrs. Mac'. "Someone... Has been rather intimate with your daughter..." she replied, trying to sound mature about it and not too overwhelmed.

Peter grew protective. "What do you mean?"

Max gulped slightly. "S-She's with child..."

Kate laughed like she had when they discovered that Kevin wasn't with them. "What?!" She then screams and fainted.

Chelsea flinched and whimpered.

Peter quickly went to his ill wife now.

Max held Chelsea. "It's okay..." she cooed.

"Mom!" Kevin rushed in the room once he heard the scream.

Chelsea clung tightly to Max. Kate looked up at Peter after she woke.

"Kevin, go get your mother some water." Peter told his youngest.

Kevin nodded and went to go do that.

Max didn't let go of Chelsea until she would want to. "I'm very sorry..." she said to the couple from the surprising news.

"What does she mean she's pregnant... How?" Kate asks, her voice weak with shock.

Kevin handed his mother the glass of water. "Mom... Dad... Being home alone wasn't as easy as it sounded."

Kate sipped at the water. Her piercing gaze on Kevin. Kevin looked to Max and Chelsea, wondering if it would be okay if he could tell his parents about what happened. Max thought it would be best, but it was really up to Chelsea. Chelsea nodded softly, though this probably was news to Kevin about what had obviously happened. Kevin took a deep breath to explain to his parents and told them about Harry and Marv and that the cop who came to their house before they would go to Paris the next morning was really the crook known as Harry Lime and he had a partner named Marv Merchants. Kevin didn't know about the pregnancy, but he brought up the fact that Chelsea was kidnapped at one point and he had to save her. 

Peter tried to absorb all that, he seemed very angered with Harry and Marv and speculated that during Chelsea's kidnapping, that one of them must have violated his daughter. Kate instantly pulled the three younger people into a hug. Chelsea sniffled softly. Kevin wasn't sure what happened, but if it would make Chelsea happy, he was going to help in anyway he could. The same went for Max, she may not have been a McCallister, but they were a second family to her growing up and still were to this day.

Six months later, Chelsea had given birth to the baby. She had spent the six months thinking that maybe the baby should be adopted. But as her baby boy was placed in her arms, she knew she could never give him up. She was tired but she managed a gentle smile to her baby. "I'm never going to let you go, William..." she says softly.

Kate looked surprised Chelsea had talked, but happy. Peter was also happy that Chelsea was talking again. Max was glad to have helped with what she could and if Chelsea wanted her to, she would help with the baby. Chelsea promised she would never let him go, and she stuck to her word. This was a truly sweet moment.


	13. Chapter 13

A year had already gone by and it was close to next Christmas, and like last year, the McCallister family decided to go to Florida, despite Kevin's protests since he liked to see snow and Christmas trees on Christmas and didn't want to see sand or palm trees. Max's grandmother was also lucky with her bingo games which usually had money prizes so she could provide for herself and her granddaughter and it allowed them to go to New York, only, Max took a job at one of the hotels and she was surprised that she was able to keep it, after being fired from her previous jobs, yet again. However, tonight, was a special night, everybody was going to the school since there was a pageant with the school choir singing and Kevin had a big solo. Chelsea was dressing William in a cute, warm, little Christmas-y outfit. She herself was dressed in a warm comfy outfit. She cooed and smiled at William. William laughed his cute little laugh, smiling toothless at his mother.

Kevin was upstairs, he was all suited up, but was just playing around with a tape recorder he got for Christmas last year and was watching a game show, testing it out.

Chelsea smiled and picked him up. "Let's go see your Uncle Kevin." she says in a happy gasp.

William clapped his hands. Kate was packing. Kevin was all packed, he was just taking a break until it was time to go. Once he saw his tape recorder worked properly, he was satisfied with himself.

Chelsea knocked on the door-frame. "Someone wants to see Uncle Kevin~" she smiled.

William gave a coo. Kate glanced over and grinned.

Kevin put his device down a moment and went to get the door and smiled to his sister and nephew. "Hey, William." he waved his fingers gently and small to the baby boy.

Chelsea smiled. William was entranced by Kevin's fingers and gripped one lightly.

Kevin allowed him to, then looked up to Chelsea. "Are you guys packed?" she asked her as William obviously couldn't or wouldn't answer.

"Yep, like I know you are, Kev... Florida is gonna be icky though... No snow." Chelsea sighed gently.

William flexed his hand around Kevin's finger, squeezing and loosening his grip.

"Yeah..." Kevin pouted. "There won't be any Christmas trees either..." 

His television had brought up that winners of the 'Celebrity Ding Dang Dong' would receive luxury by spending their winter holiday at the one and only Plaza Hotel. 

"That's where I wanna go..." Kevin then said as he heard about it. "I wanna spend Christmas in New York."

"Yeah..." Chelsea agrees.

William cooed in agreement. Kate looked at them.

"You don't wanna spend Christmas in Florida either, don't ya?" Kevin asked his nephew then.

"William... What do we say to things we don't like?" Chelsea asks, grinning as she held a finger to show to wait.

William blew a raspberry.

Kevin had a small laugh to that. "Smart kid."

William laughed. Chelsea smiled, very amused and nodded.

"That settles it then..." Kevin gently let out of William's grip. "Besides, Max is there."

"We're going to Florida, Kevin." Kate states.

"Why do we have to go to Florida anyway?" Kevin frowned to his mother. "There won't be any Christmas trees."

"We're not having a repeat of last year, we're going to have a nice family holiday this time," Kate says. "Now have you packed the thing your Grandma Penelope sent you?" She then asks Kevin.

"Let me guess..." Kevin actually didn't see it, but knowing his grandmother, it had to be something silly. "Donald Duck slippers?"

"Nope.... A pool buddy." Kate grinned holding up an inflatable clown.

William started to cry.

Chelsea rocked and held him gently, gently shushing at him. "Shh, shh, shh~" she soothes.

"How exciting..." Kevin deadpanned as he took it, not too thrilled to be given that. He didn't blame William for crying, clowns are really freaky. "Why can't we just go to New York or somewhere else? I want snow and Christmas trees, not sand and palm trees..." He thought Florida was a good spring break vacation spot, not one for a Christmas vacation.

Kate finished her packing.

"I'll wait downstairs, Kev, your tie is in the bathroom." Chelsea said softly, smiling at him.

William sniffled and whimpered. Kevin shuddered about going there, knowing Uncle Frank was going to take a shower, but he figured it he just went in and would get it, he wouldn't 'grow up never feeling like a real man', whatever that meant. Peter came to find Kate to find batteries for the new camcorder. Kate told Peter where they were. Peter bent down by the alarm clock charger, he briefly unplugged it to get the battery and put it back in, unaware that it changed the time on the clock.

Uncle Frank was heard singing loudly in the shower and Kevin snuck in to grab his tie, but he couldn't help but stay, he played with his tape recorder a little more, trying to stay in the background. Chelsea was downstairs, putting a coat on William.

Frank noticed Kevin after a little. "Get out of here you nosy little pervert or I'll slap you silly!" Uncle Frank shouted.

Kevin gasped and ran out the room, shutting the door behind him. Chelsea cooed at William. William saw Buzz and started to tell him off in baby babble noises.

"Yeah, yeah, goo goo to you too..." Buzz scoffed as he carried his robe as he had a part in the Christmas pageant as well.

"Buzz, don't insult your nephew!" Chelsea scolds.

William blew a raspberry at Buzz.

Buzz glared back at William, then just walked off. "Dumb baby..." he muttered under his breath.

Chelsea glared at her brother. William blew another raspberry. Buzz scoffed, he wanted to teach William a lesson, but he was told he would be in a lot of trouble if he harmed the baby. Kevin got his tie on and looked more like a young gentleman than just a little ten-year-old boy. Chelsea looked to Kevin and smiled. William cooed.

Kevin smiled and did playful model poses to them. "How do I look?" he asked after he was done looking like a little show-off.

"Great." Chelsea smiled.

William cooed happily. Kevin smiled to them, it was almost time to go, he was a little more tolerable with participating in the pageant since he was a little older and he was willing to get it done and over with. What could possibly go wrong with it?


	14. Chapter 14

Soon, the whole family went to the pageant. Chelsea was as proud as she could be of Kevin. Buzz was in the pageant too, but Kevin seemed to be more of the focus, then again, he did have the solo in the song. The brothers sang along with the choir of their Christmas Tree song while the school's music teacher accompanied them by piano. Everything was going well so far and the song was flowing with ease. Chelsea looked excited for Kevin. William was drinking his bottle.

Kate smiled. Frank was sleeping. The relatives passed along to each other that it was time for Kevin's solo. Leslie tried to wake her husband to spread the news while the other students were quieting down their parts of the song. Frank woke up. Chelsea smiled wider and had the proudest smile in the room. William was just drinking right then. Kevin took a small breath, then started to sing the song the best that he could.

Buzz decided to be a jerk and used his candle and another boy's candle around Kevin's ears to make it appear that they were glowing. For some reason, the audience found this funny. Kevin was always taught to tune out the audience when on stage, so he did, and he was unaware of Buzz's little prank. Chelsea looked both annoyed and worried. Uncle Frank was laughing too.

Kate wasn't laughing, shaking her head. William didn't know what was happening, and because almost everyone else was laughing and it was infectious to him, he laughed too. Buzz then used the candlesticks as sticks and Kevin's head as a drum while the audience laughed at the little joke. Leslie was trying to make her husband and children stop, but the laughter seemed to flood the room. Kevin felt something was wrong as he sang his solo, he turned around to see Buzz, knowing he had something to do with his humiliation, so he punched his older brother, shocking everyone as the set was now coming apart.

Chelsea looked proud of Kevin. William stopped laughing but clapped then. Kate looked disappointed as the children fell and the piano player fell too. Kevin didn't mean to cause a lot of destruction and chaos, but he had to punish Buzz to make him pay for the consequences of his actions. 

The other choir members fell off their platform and now the crowd looked horrified. Chelsea was the only one who looked proud of Kevin, other than William who was giggling at the chaos. Kate shook her head. Peter stood with Kate as Kevin felt very much in trouble and the curtains closed on the choir, possibly leaving the rest of the pageant cancelled because of tonight's shenanigans.

Soon they were back at home, holding a family meeting. Chelsea had put William to bed and was taking Kevin's side. 

Buzz tried to look very serious and mature about this whole thing. "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury... I'd like to apologize to my family for whatever displeasure I might have caused you..."

"What?" Kevin glanced at his brother in disbelief, but he wasn't very vocal about it, so no one really heard him.

"My prank was immature and ill-timed." Buzz continued, sounding like the polar opposite of himself.

Chelsea shook her head at Buzz, her arm around Kevin. Kate looked approving at Buzz. Fuller hid a small chuckle as he remembered it and found it hilarious.

"I'd also like to apologize to my brother," Buzz said then, then turned to the youngest of his siblings. "Kevin... I'm sorry, I know Chelsea forgives you, but I'm sorry."

Kevin still glared to him and kept closer to Chelsea, she seemed to be the only one with a brain left in this household.

"You are the one who did something wrong." Chelsea mutters to Buzz.

"Thank you, Buzz... Kevin, do you have anything you want to say?" Kate asks, shooting a glare at Chelsea.

Kevin looked angry with the others as they praised Buzz like this was really all his fault when all he did was fight back. 

Buzz pretended to have tears, then whispered lowly and grumbly towards Kevin. "Beat that, you little trout-sniffer..." 

Kevin was very peeved again that he said that, but only he and Chelsea heard it, he then spoke up and called the others stupid for believing Buzz and letting him get away with everything like they did before, this was a lot like last Christmas and he was unhappy about it.

Chelsea was outraged at Buzz. "How dare you call Kevin a trout-sniffer, you little nerf herder!" She says, loudly but not too loud.

Kate sent both upstairs again, angry.

"Who wants to spend Christmas at a tropical climate anyways?" Kevin then brought back up one of his other reasons for being angry tonight.

This seemed to be like last Christmas, Kevin didn't want to see any of them again, only this time, he did want to see William, and was not angry for him laughing earlier since he was only a baby and he knew that babies were just that way sometimes.

"Go upstairs." Kate tells them.

"Don't ruin another family vacation, you little twerps." Frank says.

"Oh, no, don't want to ruin your holiday Uncle Cheapskate." Chelsea huffs, and headed upstairs with Kevin.

Kevin agreed with Chelsea about their miserable Uncle Frank. He didn't want to see any of his family again unless it were Chelsea or baby William. Sometimes he wished he could just run away with those two and leave the others to themselves, they probably wouldn't even notice the difference.

Chelsea looked at Kevin. "If you can deal with William if he cries, you can join me upstairs in my room." she says gently to Kevin.

"Might take getting used to..." Kevin shrugged, it would be better than the others yelling and blaming him anyway. "Did I cry a lot when I was a baby?" he then asked, curious, though William wasn't that much of a crier, only when Chelsea seemed to be away from him.

"Not a lot... Only when I wasn't around... They had to get me a tutor for a couple of years until you were old enough to go to Kindergarten." Chelsea smiled.

Kevin had a small smile. "It's like you were raised to be a good mother, because you're a wonderful sister."

Chelsea smiled and almost cried herself. She hugged him gently. Kevin hugged back, as long as they stuck together, they would be just fine. He still wanted to go on a vacation without the rest of the family, he and Chelsea got their wish last year, maybe they would get it again this year. If only he had the money though. The rest of the night passed peacefully for the siblings, William was more quiet than usual, nothing wrong, just happy with both his favorite people in the room. Unfortunately, just like last year, the wind was going strong outside and it was turning off the alarm clocks and delaying the family to wake up for their Floridan vacation this year, but other than that, the family slept warmly and comfortably in their beds without a worry in the world.

Luckily, William woke Kevin and Chelsea in time. They even got breakfast before they had to go. The others woke late and were in a rush to get ready.

Frank couldn't help but comment. "Not to be rude, but you guys give the lousiest wake-up calls." he says.

Kevin was a little tired when he first woke up, but he was more awake now as they were actually on time instead of the rest of the family. Leslie handed tickets around as she went with her part of the family to go on one van while the others would go on the other one. Chelsea got in the front with a William and Kevin.

Kate handed out the tickets to her family. "Kevin and Chelsea and William." she reads out.

The family was silent as they couldn't find them at first.

"Right here," Kevin took their tickets from her. "It's a good thing we have our own tickets, otherwise William would be introduced to the family tradition of you guys trying to ditch us."

"Yes." Chelsea said.

The vans drove to the airport. The others mumbled as the vans took off, but they had bigger things to worry about, such as making it to their flight to Florida on time. 

Kevin played around with his tape recorder, but frowned, it was running low on batteries. Peter ended up running next to Kevin, William, and Chelsea. Chelsea was trying to keep William calm, and kept close to Kevin.

"Dad, I need batteries!" Kevin piped up.

"I got some batteries in my bag, I'll give them to you on the plane." Peter replied, very rushed.

There was no time for small talk, it was getting closer and closer to them having to go and make it to their gate.

Chelsea stuck close to Kevin. "Dad, give me the bag, I had to put William's bottle in there." she says.

Kate ran with her family. Peter looked to her and gave it to her way. Kevin was looking for batteries for his tape recorder inside of their father's bag, it being more of his focus than getting on the plane on time, passing the bottle and finding money, but he would never take Peter's money for himself. After Kevin got his batteries, Chelsea ran with him, thinking they were following Peter.

"Dad, wait up!" Kevin called as he was closer to Chelsea and the rest of the family was farther away from them.

They weren't waited on however, but they rushed and followed the best they could to make it to their gate and plane.

A blonde woman was taking tickets and joked along with the passengers who just now made it as the plane was nearly ready to take off. Chelsea tried to stop, but Kevin had her and William's ticket. Kate tried to count her family but was told to just get on. The flight attendants promised everyone would make it on the plane, urging Kate to go sit down as the plane was now boarding. The door was just about to close after the man who Kevin and Chelsea thought was their father made it in.

"WAAAAIT!" Kevin cried, accidentally running into the woman and knocking her things down. "I'm sorry..." he apologized her, sincerely. 

"That's all right..." the woman gathered her things with his help, she then smiled at the cute baby. "Are you all on this flight?" she then asked.

William cooed.

Chelsea nodded. "That man in the brown coat... He was our dad." she says.

"They're already on the plane and we don't wanna be left behind." Kevin said to her once he got her things together for her.

"Do you have boarding passes?" the woman asked once she collected her items.

"They're somewhere..." Kevin tried to look for them.

"They're in that pile." Chelsea says, pointing to the boarding passes.

William started to fuss, he wanted his bottle, but they needed to get on the plane. A man came to them, it was getting close for the plane to take off.

The woman took the passes and allowed them to get on the plane, she didn't want to rush them, but they were running out of time. "Do you guys see your family?" she asked them since she was told to make sure the family was on board too before they would leave Chicago.

Kevin pointed to a familiar looking man putting his bag above his seat. "There's our dad over there."

"Okay, well go find a seat," the woman told them with the best friendly smile she could do for their sake. "Merry Christmas." she told them before leaving.

"You too." Kevin nodded back to her.

"Merry Christmas." Chelsea smiled. Luckily, she and Kevin got to sit together. She then started to feed William.

William sucked on his bottle happily. Kevin looked around for the others, but shrugged it off, he decided to listen to some music to pass the flight time while Chelsea would be busy with little William. Chelsea had to talk over the info to soothe William. But soon, the plane took off. The planes were now taking off and now, everybody could relax until they would reach their destination. 

Chelsea smiled at her brother and cooed at William. The ride was going very smoothly and it looked like they were going to have a decent landing. Little did the McCallister trio know that this year was going to be like last year, only they won't be home alone, they will be somewhere else for the holiday season. Chelsea followed Kevin out once they landed. She was glad there wasn't loud noises as William was sleeping.


	15. Chapter 15

Kevin was looking for their other family members, but oddly enough, he didn't see anyone he knew, except the obvious. Everyone else got off the plane, but none of them were kin to him or any of them. 

"Where are those guys?" Kevin mumbled to himself.

Chelsea glanced out of the window and looked surprised. "Uh, Kev... I don't think we're in Florida." she whispers.

Kevin looked with her and noticed tall buildings, but there was one thing which made him think and know exactly where they were, it was the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building, he was wondering if this was just a dream or whatever, he rushed to a woman who was behind her desk, on the telephone and a poinsettia on her desk. "Excuse me, this is an emergency."

The woman put her phone down, but gave them her full attention. "Yes?"

"What city is that over there?" Kevin pointed.

"That's New York, sir..." the woman told him like he was an idiot.

"New York..." Chelsea whispered, then grinned.

"Yikes, we did it again..." Kevin whispered softly.

The woman glanced to him. "Something wrong, sir?"

Kevin gave a small nod, then stood closer to Chelsea. "We'll be fine." he replied in assurance.

"Yes," Chelsea agreed, smiling. "Come on, Kev." she said.

Kevin had a small smile and went with Chelsea. "Our family's in Florida, and we're in New York..." he first sounded devastated, but once he actually said that, it sounded a whole lot better. "Our family's in Florida and we're in New York..." he then smiled eagerly. "And I know just where to stay." he then added.

"The Plaza?" Chelsea grinned, on the same wavelength.

"The very same," Kevin smirked. "But first... Let's take a little tour."

Chelsea nodded, going to enjoy this holiday.

William was fast asleep. Kevin smiled to her and little William, now was the time for a whole new adventure in the big city. They took a cab to show them around before they would take a hotel room for themselves to bunk for the night and have a real vacation. Chelsea pointed out all the things to Kevin.

Kevin made sure to take some pictures to have everlasting memories of their experience. He even saw a Santa on stilts which was very amusing and he handed them both a pamphlet. William was awake and about to cry, but Chelsea soothed him, and he giggled once he understood the man wasn't scary really. Chelsea smiled. Kevin laughed to the Santa, showing William there was no harm in him. The sights and sounds of New York were truly more exotic and exciting up close than watching commercials or watching movies of it and this was truly going to be a day that Kevin would not forget.

Chelsea looked at Kevin, pointing out the Plaza Hotel.

Kevin was amazed of how big and expensive the place looked and was eager to go in with Chelsea. This was going to be a lot of fun. "Chelsea... I know how we can get in... Just don't tell anyone..." he said to her, trusting her before they went inside the building.

Chelsea nodded. William clapped his hands. Kevin walked with Chelsea as they saw it from afar. He turned as pigeons seemed to gather along an older woman who appeared to be homeless and the pigeons were like her pets. She looked a little scary right now, but she didn't seem to hurt them and they just went along to the glorious hotel they would stay in for the night. Chelsea smiled at the woman. Kevin, Chelsea, and William walked down the street, blending into the crowd.

Someone however shoved against Kevin, but not hurting him, his sister, or the baby. They just kept walking the opposite direction. Chelsea held William close, her eyes wide having recognized them. Harry stopped and glanced at the backs of them. Kevin didn't seem to notice who was there though.

"What's the matter?" Marv asked Harry as they walked, he didn't see anything out of the ordinary either.

William hugged into his mother.

"Just thought I saw something..." Harry mutters.

Marv shrugged along and got his glue-coated hand stuck to a blonde woman's purse. The woman glared at him and tried to free her purse from him. Marv chuckled to her, greeting her in the language of love: French. However, the woman didn't like it and she just smacked him in the face and stormed off.

Chelsea turned to glance back, having heard the slap.

Kevin just kept walking and noticed his sister was moving a little slower. "Chelsea?"

"Coming." Chelsea said, and followed Kevin.

Kevin waited up for her a little, once they were side by side again, they continued to walk to New York's finest hotel. It was very big and rich with numerous windows looking up from down to them with flags from not just America, much, much more than that. Kevin helped Chelsea up the stairs a little and they tried not to bump into anyone from then on. It was just a nice on the inside as it was on the outside.

While they were going in, there was a plucky little girl with short blonde hair that was tied with a dark pink ribbon in it, beautiful blue eyes, a white buttoned up blouse with a black overall dress over it with white knee socks and black Mary Janes. She was doing little twirls like a ballerina and seemed to be causing trouble for the staff, but not intending on doing as such. Chelsea looked at the place in awe. She offered a smile to the little girl though.

Kevin looked around and felt shoved by the girl. "Hey!" he called.

"Huh?" the girl turned, then saw what she did. "Oh, I'm sorry... I didn't mean to hurt you... Are you guys new around here?" she asked, looking very hopeful and cheerful. Her eyes seemed to light up once she saw Chelsea had a baby with her.

"Hi there," Chelsea smiled. She noticed her look at William and smiled brighter. "My name's Chelsea, this is my brother, Kevin... and this is my son, William." she says, pointing to each of them, then showing William.

Kevin gave a friendly smile then to show he wasn't a bad boy. "Um... Who are you?"

"I'm Eloise," the girl chimed, her voice like bells on a lovely morning. "I'm six."

"Are you a guest here too?" Kevin asked.

"I live here in the Plaza at the 'tippy-top' with my nanny," Eloise explained. "My mother's coming for Christmas though while she's away in Paris, I hope she buys me something nice, my mother has tres taste in fashion..." she then cooed softly at the last bit, using a French accent that she studied from her private tutoring.

"Ah, a Cadeaux?" Chelsea smiled, about the present comment.

Eloise smiled to her, then decided to put her 'boring lessons' to use. "Oui!"

Kevin was a little surprised at Chelsea's sudden French speaking, but said nothing. 

"Oh, I should let you get checked in..." Eloise said to the small family. "Come on, I'll show you the front desk." she offered to them.

"I learned French." Chelsea playfully pouted to Kevin.

Kevin rolled his eyes, he had an idea to have him and Chelsea get by. "Um, Eloise, is there a bathroom near here?" he asked the girl. "I think we should take a quick pitstop before we check in."

Eloise believed that. "Right through that door," she pointed to a bathroom door. "I'll wait for you."

"I'll wait here too, Kev." Chelsea winked.

William looked at Eloise. Kevin nodded and went to 'use the bathroom', he also saw that there was even telephones not too far away from them and made it look like he had to take care of business. He was going to make a reservation for him, William, and Chelsea, pretending to be Peter since he had a credit card in the bag to use and they could stay as guests.

"Hi!" Eloise chirped to William.

Chelsea knelt down so Eloise could see him better. William gave her a big smile.

Eloise smiled, then looked up to Chelsea briefly. "How old is he?" she asked.

"Just over a year." Chelsea said softly.

William reached and, gently, tugged at the dangly bit of the ribbon.

"He's a very handsome baby." Eloise giggled to the baby, she loved babies and had wanted one of her own, but of course, she would have to wait until she was older.

A woman with a headset was making a reservation for one Peter McCallister, but Eloise didn't seem to notice.

After that, Kevin came out of the bathroom and came back to his family and new friend. "Okay, let's go now." 

"Alright, just follow me." Eloise told them.

Chelsea stood up. "We'll be staying a little while, maybe you could come and have a play day with us." she smiled.

"I'm sure Nanny will let me." Eloise smiled back as she skipped in her steps, being a little girl and all.

Kevin followed Eloise as he continued to look around. While they were going to the front desk where the woman there was, there came a familiar face, it was Max and she was shown in her own uniform, but she seemed to have a distaste for the white gloves it came with.

"Well, well, well... Lookie, it's Maxine." Chelsea smiled, only calling Max that to playfully wind her up.

Max looked a bit peeved, she really hated being called that, but she looked over and smiled, she had spotted Kevin, Chelsea, and the new baby with that little girl, Eloise. Most of the hotel staff wasn't keen on Eloise due to her little mischief making, but Max did like Eloise and thought of her as the younger sister she never had and the feeling was mutual with her as an older sister figure. She gave a small wave to the McCallisters. William recognized Max and let out a wail, he wanted a hug. Chelsea giggled.

Max decided to quickly come to see them and made herself smile, not that she didn't have a bad one, but she was often told sincere service with a smile. "Welcome to the Plaza Hotel, my favorite family," she greeted, then set a playful glare to Chelsea. "My name is Max and let me know if I can do anything to make your stay more enjoyable." she then smiled softer and waved down to little William.

"Are these the people you told me about, Max?" Eloise asked her.

"Indeed," Max smiled. "I didn't think you guys would be spending Christmas in New York though, I thought you were going to Florida this year..." she then sounded confused.

"Change of plans," Chelsea winked and handed him to Max. "Kevin, go ahead and book us in." she smiled.

"Book 'em!" Eloise giggled, she tapped the bell for him to get Mrs. Stone's attention. 

William cuddled into Max. Max was a little nervous, she held William before, but still, it was sometimes surprising, but she held him properly in her arms. Chelsea smiled. William gave Max a baby kiss.

Max giggled. "Aw, he's gonna have hundreds of girlfriends when he grows up~..." she cooed to Chelsea.

Chelsea giggled. "Not 'til he's old enough." she smiled.

William clapped.

Max chuckled. "Oh, if he were 19 years older, I'd ask him out..." she joked slightly.

Chelsea giggled. William smiled.

"Call me when he has a driver's license..." Max continued, she was going to have fun as long as she wouldn't get caught, which unfortunately for her, was often, but luckily, she didn't seem to be spotted just yet.

Chelsea chuckled. "Sure." she agreed, winking playfully.

Kevin went to the front desk. "Hi."

"Hello." the woman at the desk said.

Kevin smiled to her. "Reservation for McCallister."

"For yourself?" Mrs Stone asks, raising an eyebrow slightly.

"Mrs. Stone, he's a little boy," Eloise spoke up rather firmly, cutting in as always. "How could he make a reservation for himself when he's only a little kid? I mean, think about it for lord's sake!"

Mrs. Stone gave a small frown to Eloise. "Where are your parents?" She then asked Kevin.

"We're traveling with our dad," Kevin replied, referring to himself, Chelsea, and William. "He's on business, in a meeting, and I hate meetings, plus I'm not allowed to go in, so our dad dropped us off here and Chelsea with me because of her baby and to keep me company. He gave me his credit card though." he then slid the card over to her to show proof.

Mrs. Stone seemed to buy that story and got them booked in. Kevin was surprised when the credit card worked once he found out how to work it, but kept quiet. Eloise was excited for them.

Max laughed a little, then saw what was going on behind their backs. "Oh, it looks like you're checked in..." she smiled to them. "Very lucky, you got a suite... I wish I could afford a suite."

"One day me and you will share a suite" Chelsea smiled, taking William back.

"Maxine, take the McCallisters up to their room, please... Now." Mrs. Stone ordered.

Max grunted when her birth name was given, but she nodded. "Yes, Mrs. Stone..." she forced herself to say behind her clenched teeth, then went to lead them to an elevator.

Eloise decided to go with them and maybe help them out a little. Chelsea followed Max. She smiled at her brother and Eloise. The conceirage had a strange feeling about the siblings and decided to keep an eye on them, he wasn't very fond of children and was very prim and proper compared to the others, even more than that Mrs. Stone. Max tried to remember which floor, but Eloise hit the button for her to take them upstairs the easy way. Chelsea caught a glimpse of the concierge.

William did too and blew a raspberry. The man looked offended and gave them an even sharper glare. Max caught his glare with them and shook a chill down her spine, she tried to ignore him. Eloise just stuck her tongue out before the doors closed and they would move on up to the east side and finally have a piece of the pie. Chelsea giggled. William did too. Max hummed a tune until they would be all the way up and make their stop. Eloise swayed herself back and forth with a peaceful smile. Chelsea hummed in harmony with Max.

"You know, Herbert Hoover once stayed on this floor..." Max told Kevin as they left the elevator, giving trivia that she once learned.

"The vacuum guy?" Kevin looked curious.

"No... President..." Max chuckled sheepishly and helped them into their room.

Eloise frowned, they didn't have the penthouse so they would be neighbors, but oh, well, maybe she could stop by and say hello when she wouldn't be in her room next.

"Don't forget to come for that playdate." Chelsea smiled to Eloise.

"I won't." Eloise promised.

"Ellie, I have to get them settled in," Max told the little girl. "Why don't you tell your nanny about the new guests?" she suggested that to help distract the girl since Kevin and Chelsea probably needed to rest in their room now.

"Okay, bye guys, I'll see you later." Eloise waved to her new friends and skipped off to do just that.

Chelsea smiled. "What a sweet little girl," she told Max. She then looked at Kevin "You get first jump on the bed." she grins.

Kevin grinned and went to the bed, hopping onto it.

Max smiled. "Ellie's a good girl... She's a bit of a troublemaker though." she then warned.

"She'll fit right with us then.' Chelsea grinned.

"Oh, dear..." Max mocked worry.

Kevin explored the room after checking out the bed, there were even candies and treats for them with a nice big TV. 

"You know how the TV works?" Max asked.

Kevin glanced to her. "I'm 10-years-old, TV's my life..." he reminded her. "Didn't you have a TV growing up?"

"Oh, WE didn't have a TV." Max explained that she didn't grow up with television like a normal kid would.

Chelsea's smile softened. "Well, if any movies came on, I always invited Max over." she smiled.

"Oh..." Kevin smiled, then looked curious again. "But what about that TV in your grandmother's house?"

"That was in the attic when I helped her clean up..." Max explained. "It's like those old televisions back in when your parents were kid and there were only three channels... We could get a fourth one, but you'd have to stand on it with your arm and leg stretched and watch out for lightning...." she then bit her lip at the last part. "I learned that the hard way."

Chelsea hugged Max gently.

Kevin took out some of the money and gave it to the poor girl. "Here, for your troubles..."

"Oh, I-I couldn't..." Max was surprised at how much money that was, she had never been tipped that much with previous jobs. "I should give you change..."

"I insist, and for you to have a happy holiday." Kevin assured her that it would be fine.

"Yes, please take it, Max." Chelsea smiled.

Max smiled to them. "Thank you..." she whispered to them. She then gently stroked little William's face. "Stay in school when you get there, kiddo..." she smiled, then grunted as she stared at her gloved hands. "Ugh, I hate these things... I feel like I'm at a tea party with my grandmother..."

Chelsea giggled softly. William cooed happily.

"Well, you know where we are," Max told them as she went to the door. "I better get back downstairs before Mr. Hector bites my head off." 

Kevin frowned, he wanted her to stay, but he knew that her work came first.

"See you later, Max." Chelsea said softly, trying to think of a way to help her.

Max gently shut the door and heaved a soft sigh as she then went to the elevator to return to the lobby. Kevin tried to think too.


	16. Chapter 16

That night, Chelsea had set William to sleep and was dozing, waiting for Kevin to be finished what he was doing. Kevin fell asleep after having a big ice cream dessert with a movie, it wasn't as scary as before since he was older, but he still flinched at some parts. Max was at her desk, yawning excessively, she wanted to get going, but she was told to wait a moment which felt eternal.

Hector slipped upstairs and slowly came to the door and gently knocked on it. "Housekeeping?" he called, disguising his voice.

Chelsea cracked her eye open. She closed it quickly though. William shifted, whimpering.

Kevin woke up in an instant, he pondered what to do. "Pretend to be asleep..." he whispered to Chelsea. "I'm gonna put Grandma Penelope's present to good use."

"Okay..." Chelsea nodded and kept quiet, looking peaceful.

Kevin rushed to the bathroom and took out his tape recorder as well. The sneaky, slippery, and slightly sinister concierage popped into the room, giving a look around. There were pillows in the bed that looked like a sleeping person. William was asleep still and Chelsea looked like she was sleeping. The concierage glanced to them, he looked dismayed once he saw there was an infant in the room, of all the children he didn't tolerate, babies ranked mighty high on his list. 

He then gently walked around, looking for the father, knowing that he had to had been with them. He had eavesdropped on their conversation and registration with Mrs. Stone. He saw the bathroom door opened a crack, so he went there with an evil grin emerging on his snake, smug, grim face. Uncle Frank's voice was heard singing Cool Jerks, and the puppet looked like a man taking a shower. Hector crept in through the door, glancing at the shower, he looked disturbed and curious of it as he saw the shadow of the clown balloon pool toy who was 'showering and singing'.

Kevin was hiding safely and quietly, though operating the puppet to make it look like an adult male was showering. After a few seconds, it came to Uncle Frank shouting "get out of here you nosy little pervert!" Chelsea only allowed a small smile, like she was smiling in her dream. Hector was actually horrified that he was 'caught', it caused him to run out of the room and tripped over a small table, ending up on top of Chelsea by accident. Chelsea's eyes flew open and she was about to scream.

Hector got off from her quickly backed up. "M-My apologies, ma'am..." he said to her, showing a rare display of fear, he also hoped the baby wouldn't cry and he tried to escape from the room as quickly and swiftly as possible.

Chelsea purposely threw a pillow at Hector. William woke up and blinked, he saw the 'flying pillow' and was entranced. Hector grunted from the pillow and left the room, closing it behind him. Chelsea picked up the pillow and went to soothe William back to sleep. Kevin heard the front door click shut and he poked his head out, then looked to Chelsea and William, smiling then.

Chelsea rocked William back to sleep, then smiled softly at Kevin. "Good job." she says, quietly.

"Thanks..." Kevin said quietly back, he then looked really tired and decided to get himself ready for bed.

Chelsea put William down, and decided to join Kevin this time, knowing they wouldn't receive any more unwelcome guests.

Kevin actually looked a little sad tonight, he stared out the window as it was late and the snow was gently falling outside. "Good night, Mom..." he whispered softly.

"Come here, sweetheart." Chelsea says softly, holding her arms open for him.

Kevin looked back to her and went to hug her.

Eloise was sleeping soundly until she woke up with a yell and looked around. "Naaaaannnyyy!!!" she cried. 

Nanny was fast asleep and didn't seem to be wakeable. 

"Nanny?" Eloise opened her nanny's door, but her elderly babysitter was sleeping with no disturbances despite Eloise's screaming which almost always woke her up just as good as a wake up call or alarm clock. The girl sighed and frowned, she wished her mother was there to comfort her from a bad dream, she then thought of someone else she could probably go to to help her get over whatever nightmare she might have had.

Chelsea hugged Kevin close and kissed his forehead. Kevin slowly started to feel better in the hug, this was a real Christmas vacation though. Eloise took her flashlight and wrote a note with her pink crayon and left it on her tea table and walked off as a pug dog and turtle watched her leave. She remembered which room Kevin, Chelsea, and Baby William were staying in and found her way to going there and she held her flashlight close like a teddy or a doll she desired for her own protection.

Chelsea heard the soft knocking. She knew it wasn't any of the staff. "I'll be back in a minute, Kev." she says gently and went and answered the door.

Kevin nodded and allowed her to go, he smiled as he watched William. Eloise twirled her finger through her hair and looked up to Chelsea once the door opened, her baby blue eyes were big and wide with wetness in fear.

Chelsea took one look and recognized the look, but just to make sure she had to ask. "What's wrong, sweetheart?" She asks softly.

"I-I had a bad dream..." Eloise frowned softly. "Nanny wouldn't wake up..."

"Oh, sweetheart..." Chelsea says softly. She lifted her up and gave her a warm comforting hug.

Eloise hugged Chelsea back and nuzzled gently against her, feeling the warm and comforting hold that Chelsea had, whether with friends, family, or more. "You're so warm..." she lightly told Chelsea, feeling safe with her.

Chelsea brought her into the room and sat on the bed so she could stroke Kevin's hair, be comfy and be able to soothe Eloise. "Do you want to talk about it?" She asks softly.

"If you wouldn't mind hearing about it..." Eloise stared at the floor.

"I don't mind... Go ahead." she says softly. She continued to stroke and run her fingers through Kevin's hair.

Eloise sighed a little shaky. "I had a bad dream that these bad guys were gonna hurt you and your brother..."

"Bad... Guys?" Chelsea asked quietly.

"I don't know who they were..." Eloise pouted. "One of them wanted to bite you..."

"Don't... Worry about that, darling.... It was just a dream." Chelsea soothed quietly, not wanting the girl scared.

Eloise noticed how distant Chelsea seemed, but took her word for it, being a kid and all. "I'm sorry... It was kinda scary... I probably woke Mrs. Thornton up."

"Mrs. Thornton?" Chelsea asks gently. She held Eloise close with one arm, still in a comforting hug.

"She lives next door to us," Eloise explained. "She always seems to be in a grouchy mood whenever I'm around."

"Well... If anyone is grumpy with you... It's just because they don't realize how special you are, so don't be upset about it, because you are special." she smiled.

"Nanny and Mother say I am 'rawther' lovely," Eloise smiled brightly then, she then sighed. "I do hope that my mother can make it to New York... One year her flight got cancelled and she couldn't make it home..." she pouted then, she really wished she could spend more time with her mother away all the time, but the woman had a high reputation in the hotel which sort of made the little girl spoiled due to how much everybody loved her and the girl's nanny so much.

Chelsea smiled gently. "I'm sure she will be, sweetheart." she says.

Eloise had a smaller smile, but she felt really safe and comfortable around Chelsea. "Thanks... I'm really glad I have people like you and Max..."

"Yes, Max is great... She's my best friend other than Kevin of course." Chelsea smiled. She covered everyone up and then told the many stories of things she and Max got up to when they were younger. She did so until everyone, including herself, were asleep.

Eloise giggled at some stories and loved them, they were enough to put her to sleep and put her mind at ease and fears were now soothed as she could sleep peacefully now, even though she was in a room that was not her own.

The next morning, William woke them up, crying for his morning feed. Chelsea got out of the bed with practiced ease, her moving not actually disturbing the younger two. Eloise slept how she normally slept and wore a 'Do Not Disturb' sign around her neck. Kevin was sleeping soundly himself, he did flinch a little when William cried, but fell right back asleep with no trouble. William continued to cry until Chelsea sorted his bottle and fed him.

Chelsea hummed quietly and looked at the time. Hmm... They should really get up now. "Wakey wakey, kids." she crooned.

There was a knock at the door as they woke up. Kevin yawned and looked surprised to see Eloise there.

Eloise yawned and looked back to him. "Oh, good morning, Kevin." she greeted normally.

"Geez, where did you come from?" Kevin was surprised to see her.

"I don't know how that works yet..." Eloise took that question a little too literally.

Chelsea went to answer the door, baby in arms.

"Your younger brother's drawers, ma'am." Cedric, who was one of the kinder part of the hotel staff, smiled and carried a tiny pair of boxers on a hanger.

Kevin saw that and snatched them. "Jeez, don't flash those things up here! There could be girls on this floor!"

"My apologies..." Cedric sounded sincerely sorry. "Also, have either of you seen that little girl Eloise? Her nanny is, and I quote, quite 'worried, worried, worried'."

Chelsea looked at Cedric. "Yes, the little darling had a nightmare and couldn't wake the nanny... Could you tell her to come here?" She asks him, giving him an actual tip.

"Of course..." Cedric nodded to her, he took the money gently and went to do just that. 

"I left a note..." Eloise didn't understand why her nanny could be worried when she left where she would be.

"It's okay, sweetheart, sometimes grown-ups get a bit silly when they get worried." Chelsea soothes.

"That's for sure..." Eloise folded her arms with a smirk then.

Kevin came back over and looked to the younger girl. "Are you okay now?"

"Yeah... Your sister helped," Eloise smiled, then looked back to Chelsea. "You're absolutely lovely!"

"Thank you, sweetheart." Chelsea smiled. She put a cloth over her shoulder, starting to burp William now he was finished drinking.

Eloise hid a giggle. "Oh, have you guys been to Duncan's Toy Chest yet?"

"What's that?" Kevin wondered.

"It's one of the biggest and bestest toy stores in the whole wide world!" Eloise squealed. "Sometimes I go there to do my Christmas shopping for my other kid friends that have come and gone to the hotel."

"Well, maybe we should go there today." Chelsea suggests.

Eloise smiled.

Eventually, Eloise's nanny showed up.

"Oh, Eloise, there you are..." Nanny instantly hugged the six-year-old girl. "Why in the world did you leave the room?"

"I'm sorry, Nanny, but you wouldn't wake up and I had a bad dream..." Eloise frowned.

Nanny looked a little softer and gentle now. "Oh, I'm sorry, Eloise... You know I'm getting older... I probably couldn't hear you." 

"I'm sorry for running off..." Eloise still apologized.

"That's alright..." Nanny said to her, then looked to Chelsea. "And if she has bothered you, I apologize... She gets hyper very easily."

"She wasn't any trouble at all." Chelsea smiled softly at the older woman.

"Really?" Nanny was shocked with that answer.

Eloise simply smiled.

"I'm sure she's sorry that she worried you, but she was really no trouble at all." Kevin added for defense.

Nanny smiled down to the little girl. "I'm impressed... Maybe you're growing up."

"Nanny, I'm almost seven, I'm a practically an adult!" Eloise chirped and spread her arms out in excitement.

Chelsea nodded, trying hard to not giggle. After a second, she managed to keep it down. "In fact, I was wondering if she would like to join my brother, son and me for a play date today... You can have a nice relaxing day by the pool." she smiled.

"That sounds like a wonderful idea..." Nanny actually liked the sound of that. "I do ask though that she has a quick breakfast and a change of clothes first though." She then added, a bit seriously.

"Of course, I was just feeding my baby then I was going to bring her back up anyway... But, this way is better," she smiled. "So we'll meet in the lobby in half an hour?" Chelsea suggests.

"Sounds good." Nanny agreed, she took Eloise's hand.

Eloise smiled to them. "See ya in a little bit!" she called as she left with her nanny to go to their room to get ready for shopping.

Chelsea burped William then got showered and dressed. She then finished getting William ready. Kevin got himself dressed and made sure to take his coat and hat as it was actually cold where they were. 

Max yawned as she showed up for work, she was hoping no one would notice that she was a little late. Mrs. Stone sent a haughty look to Max.

"There wasn't any hot water..." Max visibly shivered, she must have had a cold shower this morning. 

"You really can't catch a break, can't you, Maxine?" Hector seemed to taunt her.

Max sighed, she hoped this wouldn't be held against her, she really needed this job to feed for Christmas. Mrs. Stone smirked.

Chelsea, who went down to the lobby with Kevin heard this. She noticed Cedric wasn't being a butt so she pecked his cheek. "Thank you for sending the nanny," she smiled to him. She then went so they would be noticed by Hector. "Next time you feel the need to 'get some action', don't come sneaking." she starts, waiting a brief moment to watch his reaction. Would he silence her somehow or just let her say it? Her form of payback for Hector.

Cedric smiled to Chelsea, he seemed harmless enough, he was sure she already had someone, but he blushed slightly.

Hector wasn't sure how to respond to that, he figured maybe 'their father' found out about that and told them about it. "Erm... Right... Umm... I apologize for that... Will your father be down by any chance?"

"He just left," Kevin reported. "But he said he wasn't afraid to make his naked rear end chase you down if you do that ever again."

"Right... I was hoping I could apologize to him." Hector informed then.

"If some guy walked in on you in the shower, would you ever want to see them again?" Kevin prompted.

Hector seemed to blush from that question. "I suppose not..." 

Max hid a giggle, that made up for today's daily disaster from her random bad luck.

"Especially if you tried it on with his daughter while she was sleeping." Chelsea said, not too loudly, just enough for the staff to hear.

Hector felt embarrassed and ashamed.

"There's a limousine for you guys," Max spoke up, trying to sound like a professional. "There's a big cheese pizza just for you too." 

"Yes, thank you for reminding me, Maxine." Hector looked to her.

Max smiled a little big, but it was nervous and also aggravated as though she were saying 'If you call me Maxine one more time, I'll use God's strength to overtake you'.

"We're just waiting for Eloise." Chelsea smiled.

"Ah yes... That perfect little girl..." Hector rolled his eyes as that 'bratty girl' was brought up. He then mumbled under his breath. "I swear, if her mother wasn't my best customer, I'd ship her to a boarding school in the middle of nowhere..."

The elevator dinged and Eloise came out, wearing a black beret with a red coat with pink heart-shaped buttons and she also seemed to have been wearing white gloves to match her cute little outfit. William blew a raspberry then laughed at what his mother did. Chelsea smiled too sweetly at Hector and punched him in the shoulder. Luckily, she did this before Eloise's nanny could see. Hector did grunt in pain from that.

"Now Eloise, I want you to be on your best behavior for Chelsea and her family." Nanny told the girl.

"I will." Eloise promised with a smile, she then hugged her nanny and went to see the others with a smile glued to her face.

Kevin and Eloise greeted each other with child conversation which Max found simply adorable.

Chelsea smiled softly. "Come on then..." she smiled. She winked at Max.

"Would you like to join us?" Kevin invited Max.

Max sighed. "I have to work..."

Chelsea had a feeling, a good one, about Max staying. "We'll buy you something nice." she mouths with a wink. She then took the kids outside with her.

Little did everyone know a new and upcoming musician was on his way tostay at the Plaza Hotel. Max smiled fondly and waved to them, she felt another cold chill, but kept calm. Eloise skipped outside with Kevin, Chelsea, and William as the doorman opened the door for them and led them to their limo with their own cheese pizza, just how they liked it. Chelsea smiled brightly. William cooed.

It was beginning to look a lot like Christmas everywhere they would go. Eloise smiled for Chelsea, Kevin, and William as they were going to ride in style like she normally did. The pizza even smelled good, plus anything after having her daily oatmeal would be more appetizing and pleasing than that breakfast. The staff by the limo even greeted Eloise by name. Chelsea offered Eloise the first slice. William stared at his mother. Eloise smiled, she loved how gooey and cheesy the pizza was. She took her gloves off before taking it to eat it. 

"Hello?" Kevin used the telephone.

"Hello?" the driver replied to him.

"Do you know where Duncan's Toy Chest is?" Kevin then asked.

The driver smiled to the kids. "Yes, sir!" 

Chelsea smiled and giggled. "Okay, Kevin, you take the next slice." she smiled.

Kevin nodded, taking his before they would get to the toy store. Eloise didn't eat too proper like someone of her upbringing would, but she did make sure not to mess up her coat and best clothes. Chelsea took a slice herself, happily eating it. William cooed happily. Kevin and Eloise had giggles together when the limo had a TV in it and they were able to watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas, which was a classic Christmas cartoon for many, young and old. Chelsea watched too, cuddling her baby close.

Max noticed Hector was being suspicious around her best friends and she saw him looking through something about Peter's credit card. "What are you doing?" she glanced at him like she didn't trust him.

Mrs. Stone shushed Max, doing her own job. Hector set a glance to Max and went back to doing what he was doing. Max sighed and went off, out of all the jobs she had, this one had to be the most demeaning, at least she didn't have to wear a stupid outfit though to entertain spoiled children.


End file.
